


A Place to Call Home

by the_madame21



Series: Everyday Life [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Bokuto Koutarou, Alpha Iwaizumi Hajime, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Biting, Blow Jobs, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Implied Mpreg, KuroTsukki is also more of a side thing, M/M, Mild Angst, Omega Akaashi Keiji, Omega Oikawa Tooru, Omegaverse, Oral Sex, Parent Oikawa Tooru, Pole Dancing, Rated for future chapters, Shower Sex, Single Parent Oikawa Tooru, Slow Burn, Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, ass eating, ass licking, holy shit my first slow burn fic, kind of, the ushiteru is a side thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2018-12-05 04:18:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 191,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11570184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_madame21/pseuds/the_madame21
Summary: Oikawa Tooru doesn't need an alpha. He's doing fine all on his own. And the past four years of being a single mother have proven that this is exactly what he wanted from life.Of course, life has a way of not always going as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

Iwaizumi saw him every day. 

Which sounded a bit suggestive, when put like that. 

There was nothing suggestive about it, rest assured. It was simply a matter of fact. 

Iwa saw him every day, climbing up the stairs to what Iwa guessed was apartment 3F. 

Which now just sounded creepy. Especially when put like that. 

But it was nothing of the sort. Simply another fact of the matter, because Iwa just happened to see it, every day at four in the afternoon, which he only knew because that was when he started his practice with the kids at the park. And standing in the park, he had the perfect view of the row of apartments that lined the opposite side of the street, but more importantly, of the incredibly attractive omega that would always return home at the same time. 

At least, he was pretty sure the omega was attractive. Assuming it was an omega to begin with. But Iwa was always pretty sharp when it came to those sorts of things. 

Still though, the distance was a little far, and Iwa only ever got the side of his face, but it was a really nice side of his face, in his very honest opinion. And aside from that, the omega had a very beautiful build. 

Well, a beautiful _back_ would be more accurate, since Iwa was granted a much longer view of that, when the omega was opening his door. 

It was the kind of back Iwa already knew his fingers would never get enough of, trailing them up and down the omega’s spine until the omega was nothing but whimpering shivers. 

Yeah. That’d be good. 

Of course, all of this was hypothetical. More of a daydream, really, considering he didn’t even know the omega’s _name_ let alone anything else. Sort of shallow, really. But it was harmless, Iwa reasoned, if his mind happened to wander every now and again.

Because it was better than what he had now. Which was equivalent to nothing. Not that helping kids with their volleyball wasn’t rewarding, it certainly could be, but gods he’d kill to have an adult conversation with someone that didn’t consist of _how their son was doing._

Iwa sighed, trying to bring his attention back to the kids. But it was hard, that little voice in the back of his head tugging at his thoughts. 

He’d never seen anyone other than the supposed omega enter that apartment. Did he leave alone? 

Probably not. 

And not just because Iwaizumi’s luck was shit. But with an omega who looked like that, it would be more likely to assume that he already had an alpha to come home to. 

Or an alpha to wait on. 

Iwaizumi shook his head, because it was most _definitely_ inappropriate to have apron-wearing, what-would-you-like-for-dinner fantasies in the middle of coaching practices. 

He really needed to get a grip.

…

“I’m home!” Oikawa kicked the door shut, struggling with his bag of groceries, tossing his keys into the little bowl on the table. 

“Kitchen!”

There was a scurry of little feet rushing on the roof over his head, and then down the stairs, which manifested in the form of Eiji, hair and temperament just like his mother’s.

“Welcome home Mommy!" Oikawa had his legs tackled, which nearly made him drop the bag he was holding. Still, he managed to ruffle up his son’s hair. 

“Hey there stud-muffin. Help me with the groceries?” 

“I can!” 

Tooru handed his son the loaf of bread, watching the almost four-year-old carry it proudly into the kitchen. He smiled to himself slightly as he followed, setting the bags down on the kitchen counter with a relieved sigh. 

Bokuto waved a knife at him in greeting. “Hey hey hey~ Welcome back.” 

Tooru sighed again, leaning against the counter, “Thank you for picking him up.”

“No big deal. Started on dinner.”

“Didn’t burn down the kitchen, I see,” Tooru said, swiping a bit of tomato sauce from the bubbling pot. 

“Hey,” Bokuto pointed the knife at him, “I can cook just fine. It’s baking that gets me.”

“Ironic, truly.” 

Bokuto made a mocking face, “Ha, ha. So funny.” 

Oikawa licked his fingers, a questioning look on his face that made Bokuto think his sauce had turned out bad. 

“What?”

Tooru pointed at him, “Is that my apron?” 

“Mommy, Mommy!" His son ran up to him again, holding up a large sheet of paper, “Look what I drew!” 

“He was working on that all afternoon.” Bokuto informed, as Oikawa took off his work jacket and let it hang on the back of the chair. 

“Well let’s take a look shall we?” Oikawa took the paper and then picked up his son, sitting down on one of the stools by the counter and then placing his son on his lap so that he could scent mark him. Eiji seemed annoyed at that, wanting nothing more than to show his mother his picture. Eventually Tooru gave in, pressing his cheek against Eiji’s as he held up the crayon colored picture like it was a masterpiece. 

“This one’s you,” the little boy pointed, “And that one’s Uncle Bokuto! And that’s me.” 

“Mhmm,” Tooru admired the piece, “And who’s this?” He pointed to the unmistakable little dog in the corner. 

“That’s Wan-chan!” Little Eiji’s eyes lit up excitedly, letting his legs dangle off his mother’s lap. 

“You really want a dog don’t you?” Bokuto chuckled as he chopped up some green onions.

“It’s almost my birthday!” Eiji explained, turning awkwardly so he could face his mother, “And, I’d take good care of him—”

“Eiji,” Oikawa put on a very motherly tone, holding onto his son’s waist, “We talked about this, didn’t we? No Wan-chan yet. When you’re older I'll let you pick out a dog.” 

“But I’m already four!” 

Oikawa swiped his nose, smiling nice and big, “Almost, Ei-chan.” 

Eiji pouted, but his expression quickly faded, when Bokuto announced that dinner was ready. 

…

Bokuto always told incredibly elaborate bedtime stories while Oikawa washed the dishes. Sometimes, the omega worried his son’s head would be filled with utter nonsense, but he couldn’t help but give in when he heard the ecstatic laughter coming from his son’s room, or how lively Eiji always was the next morning, recounting his dreams that seemed to be a continuation of Uncle Bokuto’s tales. 

It was just about 7:30, when Bokuto shut the door to Eiji’s room, letting Oikawa know that the little alpha had fallen asleep. 

“Thank you. As always.” 

Bokuto waved it away. “You know you guys are family. Were there any—”

Tooru lifted up the tupperware, shooting the alpha a knowing smile. “All packaged up and ready to go.” 

Bokuto blushed, taking the tupperware and putting it into a bag. “Thanks.”

Oikawa glanced at the clock, patting his hands on his jeans, “Will you make it in time?” 

“Yeah,” Bokuto shrugged without worry, “It’s not far. And I tend to half run…so…” 

The omega snickered, waving his hands to push him along, “Well get moving, then.” 

Bokuto tipped an imaginary cap, “Wish me luck.” 

Oikawa crossed his arms and shook his head, “Always do.” 

Bokuto let the omega shut the door for him, as he stepped out into a humid breeze. He breathed it in, feeling content regardless, because quarter to eight had quickly become his most favorite time of day. 

He cut through the alley behind the apartment building that led to the busy street, crossing at the light and then turning left at the next signal. 

Maybe it was childish, to say that he was bubbling, but it was true; he was bubbling. Because most days Bokuto found himself in a quiet little bakery, one that only held three employees, one of which included the owner. 

A very young, very driven, very _beautiful_ omega by the name of Akaashi Keiji. 

Bokuto pushed the door open to a jangle of a bell, and he was greeted in the same monotone as always, with an ever present ghost of a smile by the owner himself. 

“Evening,” he grinned, holding up the grocery bag, “I made dinner.” He walked up to the counter, before setting it down directly in front of the omega. 

“You don’t have to keep doing this…” Akaashi began, as always. 

And Bokuto brushed it away, as always. “You know I make way more than I have to! It’s no trouble! Besides I know you’re here till late!” 

The omega smiled fondly at that, looking down at the plastic grocery bag and then putting it on the counter behind him. “Would you like to try what’s new?” 

“I’d love to!” 

Akaashi bent behind the display of sweets, pulling out a small tray and placing it over the glass case. “Sugar-roasted pears topped with a mascarpone cream.” 

Greedy fingers picked at the biggest one, Bokuto popping the whole thing into his mouth easily. His eyes lit up, as the sugar touched his tongue. “Ish shweet!”

The omega hid a giggle behind his hand, smiling gently at the alpha, “You always eat my desserts so earnestly, Bokuto-san.” 

Bokuto chewed quickly so that he could swallow and reply, nearly choking in the process. “Oh, I’ve told you you can drop the san! No need to be so formal.” He smiled widely, as if he were a dog wagging his tail before its owner. 

Akaashi’s smile dimmed at that, putting the tray of pears back in their display. Maintaining formalities was an absolute necessity. As much as he was drawn to Bokuto, the alpha held a faint scent of omega, and until Akaashi was absolutely certain that it was just a cousin, or something of that nature, he wouldn’t allow himself to get too close. 

He was failing most miserably, considering the alpha brought him dinner most nights, and Akaashi found himself offering the alpha samples of his pastries left and right. Because mostly, Bokuto just didn’t seem like that sort of person. So he was pretty sure it was probably just the scent of some relative or other.

But dammit Akaashi was going to keep the _san_ if it killed him. 

But formalities or not…no one had ever looked so happy before, tasting the things he’d made. That was really how they’d met in the first place. And with the alpha’s boisterous personality it didn’t take very long for them to start talking. And to _keep_ talking, which was a wonder, truly, because Akaashi didn’t talk to very many people in the first place. 

“A-Are you doing anything later?” 

Akaashi looked at the alpha, his palms starting to itch. Was that supposed to be an invitation, or just more idle chatter? 

“Cleaning up as usual…” he began carefully, ”and then just heading straight home. Early morning again tomorrow.” 

Bokuto chuckled nervously, “Right of course. You guys still open on Saturdays.” 

Akaashi nodded, before lowering his gaze slightly. “But…we’re closed on Sundays…” He wasn’t really sure what he was saying, since something like that was obvious enough. But part of him was hoping, maybe…

“Oh well that’s good! Most businesses are, right? Good thing you can get some rest.” 

Bokuto’s smile was almost too innocent, and Akaashi’s perhaps a bit too pained. 

Another alpha came to the counter just then, returning the tray and plate, and thanking Akaashi for the meal. 

“Ah,” Bokuto ran an anxious hand through his hair, “I should get going too.” 

“Of course.” 

“Have a good night, Akaashi!” 

Bokuto waved, so excited that he bumped into the other alpha that was leaving, just as they were going through the door. 

“Oh crap! My bad!” 

Iwaizumi knew he was going to get run into before it even happened. This other alpha had his head completely in the clouds. Really, it was part of the reason he finished his sandwich so fast, because watching him flirt with the owner was as painful as it was awkward. 

“No worries,” Iwa replied smoothly, about to say something about how the alpha should just _go for it,_ but he caught a foreign scent. It smelled good, too. But it screamed omega. And it definitely did not belong to the shop owner. 

And either way the other alpha was too far gone now, skipping stupidly down the street, so Iwa was left to mutter to himself, shaking his head with a disapproving scoff, “No good alpha.” 

…

Eiji always woke up at precisely 9:15pm, so that he could drink a warm glass of milk with his mother. 

Of course, his mother’s had coffee added to it. But Eiji had tried it, and he was not a large fan of coffee himself, so at his own request he stuck to simple milk. 

“And then we did shapes, but I already knew them all!” He said, swinging his legs back and forth on the couch, holding his sippy cup carefully between two hands. 

Oikawa sat down next to his son, patting his head, “Of course you did. You’re my son after all.” 

Eiji pursed his lips, trying to hide his smile, “Hiro didn’t know all of his.” 

Oikawa grinned right back, tapping his mug against his son’s sippy cup. “Good. That’s what he gets.” 

“That’s what I thought!” Eiji said excitedly, “But, I didn’t say it out loud.” 

The omega couldn’t help but laugh, nuzzling the young alpha. “That’s very mature. We don’t say rude things out loud, right?” 

Eiji shook his head, “Because then people will be rude right back!”

“Mhmm,” Tooru relaxed into the couch, drinking his coffee, “That’s exactly right.” 

Eiji continued to swing his legs on the couch happily, nuzzling into his mother’s side and drinking his milk. 

Tooru stroked his son’s hair back, letting out soothing purrs to softly lull his child to sleep. It never fully worked, however, Eiji seeing his milk as his top priority, so he always made sure to finish it first. 

“Done, Mommy.” 

The omega took the cup, and set it down on the coffee table. “Ready for bed?” 

Eiji responded by raising his arms, eyes heavy and lidded, Tooru picking up his son and cradling him close to his chest. “It’s the weekend tomorrow, do you know what that means?” 

A sleepy cheer came from his son, murmuring happily into his mother’s neck, “Waffles…!” 

“Exactly,” Tooru smiled, maneuvering his way into Eiji’s room, and tucking him into bed. The little alpha curled up, plopping down on one pillow, and pulling another one close to his chest. 

“Goodnight, Mommy…” 

It was a wonder the words managed to come out at all, the young child was so overcome with sleep, already drifting into dreams as the last syllable left his lips. 

Oikawa couldn’t stop smiling, brushing the hair out of Eiji’s face so that he could kiss his son’s forehead. 

“Goodnight, Eiji.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Iwaizumi was in a bad mood for a reason that really shouldn’t have been considered a reason to begin with. 

But it had him all sorts of irked either way. Because this was the first time pretty omega didn’t show up at four. 

Not that Iwaizumi _cared_ or anything. But he was sort of wondering _why,_ considering the omega was always there, right on the dot, every day without fail. And since Iwa didn’t coach on the weekends he had to wait two whole days for Monday to come. And now Monday was here and he was still waiting. 

Which, again, was starting to sound creepy. 

But Iwa didn’t have much to look forward to. Being a regular salaryman wasn’t exactly his ideal job. It was all early mornings and too much coffee and restricting suits that made him sweat because _why_ was Japan so fucking _humid—_ and _don’t_ get him started on the overtime. 

It’s why he’d started coaching in the first place. It let him blow off steam. He’d done sports through high school and college, so his body was just used to that kind of conditioning. His job didn’t exactly allow for a morning jog or anything like that. 

It did, however, give him most afternoons off. Unless he had to work overtime. But most days he was finished by about 2pm, which allowed him enough time to eat and be at the park by 3:30 to set up. It had started off as just something he did for fun. He saw a kid struggling to hit a baseball and offered some help. Before Iwa knew it he had a whole team. 

They did a little bit of everything. Soccer, baseball, badminton. Iwa’s personal favorite was volleyball. Really helped the little suckers with their hand-eye coordination. 

Still, the day seemed to pass by extra slowly, because Iwa hadn’t gotten his daily dose of eye candy. Which was pretty freaking depressing, Iwa decided. Maybe he should finally start accepting some of those marriage interviews his mom was always pushing on him. 

He nearly snorted at himself. It was starting to get kind of late, for that sort of thing. 

…

If necessary, Tooru could work from home, which was a blessing, since Eiji had managed to get himself sick. Amazing, the sort of thing that could manifest from a sneeze alone. 

Though he was pretty confident he had this whole parenting thing down, colds were still something that still managed to shake him. 

What if it was _serious?_ What if Eiji had symptoms Oikawa hadn’t noticed? What if he should have taken him to the doctor instead? What was the real difference between a stuffy nose and full out congestion? How much Vick’s was _too_ much Vick’s? Was it worse if he didn’t bathe Eiji because then he’d be swimming in his own germs or would he just get even sicker if his hair didn’t dry properly? 

Luckily, this time around seemed relatively minor. There was no fever, as far as Oikawa knew, just a sore throat on Sunday and a bit of a stuffy nose today. But his mom had said to keep Eiji at home just in case, so Oikawa did exactly that, feeding his son nothing but soup and mashed potatoes with the obligatory soda so that he’d drink his medicine. 

Even with all the distractions, Oikawa managed to finish his project proposal’s for this month’s new marketing strategies. Maybe it wasn’t his absolute best work, but it meant he’d be able to spend more time with Eiji after the little alpha woke up. Usually on sick days, they’d spend the day watching movies, and eating pudding, because Eiji loved pudding, and Oikawa loved spoiling his son. 

Within limits, of course. Because if Oikawa had to sit through another showing of _Cars_ he was going to shoot his own brains out. So he’d have to gather a couple other movies and not even include Cars as an option. 

Hopefully he’d be saved. 

He moved to the fridge, about to grab the pudding cups, before he realized they were all out. 

Part of him died. Maybe he was more overwhelmed than he’d originally thought.

As if that weren’t enough, the doorbell rang, just then, and Oikawa found himself mumbling little curse-words under his breath that were not appropriate of an omega mother. 

Still, he opened the door, and was surprised to see his own mother, holding up a small grocery bag and shoving it in his face. 

“I came to make tea.” 

“Mom—?”

She pushed her way past him, making herself right at home, “If my grandson is sick I won’t have you giving him that instant trash.” 

“Mom,” Tooru tried, “You should’ve told me you were coming, I would’ve asked you to pick up some pudding—”

“I’m not a personal errand runner, Tooru,” she was already in the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves and opening cabinets as if it were her own home, “I only make tea for my baby.” 

“ _I_ used to be your baby—”

The short woman smiled, patting her son sweetly on the cheek with a ringed hand, “Yes, sweetheart. But you’re not the one who’s sick. And,” she continued, reaching into her bag of herbs, “You can go grocery shopping all on your own.” 

Tooru grumbled at that, before glancing toward’s Eiji’s room. “He’s asleep right now, but if he wakes up—”

“I raised _you,_ Tooru, I’m pretty sure I know what I’m doing,” she said, waving her son off carelessly. 

Oikawa pursed his lips at that, but grabbed his house keys anyway, saying he’d be right back. His usual grocery store was too far to go on foot, so he decided with just the smaller one under the station. 

It had a decent amount of inventory so he figured he’d be fine. He just wanted to get in and get out as soon as possible before his mom gave Eiji one of those weird remedies she’d always try to give him as a kid. At the very least he wanted to spare his son the same tragedy. 

Dodging traffic and ignoring the traffic guide yelling at him, Tooru crossed the streets quickly and practically ran down the stairs to get to the underground. Luckily, he was tall, so he could maneuver his way through the crowd easily enough.

His luck didn’t last very long, however, since when he finally made it to the Family Mart, there was only one more chocolate pudding cup left. 

Well, that was fine. Eiji only needed one anyway. Tooru could always go pick up some more tomorrow. 

He was just about to reach for it, when another pair of hands beat him to it, their shoulder’s bumping into one another, the pudding cup slipping from the other man’s fingers, and splattering open onto the floor. 

Oikawa had to remind himself that committing murder over a pudding cup wouldn’t be worth the jail time.

…

“S-Sorry I didn’t see—” Iwa was so flustered, calling out to an employee to notify them of the spill, he didn’t even really notice who he’d run into, until the other male spoke up. 

“It’s _fine.”_

It might as well have been a movie, the way Iwa’s mouth hung dumbly open, his blinking slow and dazed as he stared at the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in his entire life, despite the irritation that lined the omega’s brow. 

Fuck this guy was _tall._ But that didn’t matter. None of that mattered because gods he was even _more_ beautiful up close and he smelled so fucking _good_ and he was most definitely… _definitely_ and omega. 

Points to instincts. 

“There’s uh,” Iwa struggled, trying to say _something,_ “There’s still some vanilla left—” he reached for the cup, but the omega shook his head, sighing slightly, “No. I think I’ll settle for ice cream or something.” 

_Sweet tooth, maybe?_

“Ice cream is good!” Iwa cursed himself in his head, because that had come out _way_ too loud. 

The omega didn’t seem to notice though, or even care really, because the employee had showed up with some paper towels and spray, and the omega had bent down to help pick up the mess. 

Which was when Iwa saw it. The bond mark that claimed the omega’s neck. 

He swallowed, trying to get a hold of himself, because he’d sort of known it all along. But he couldn’t bring himself to stop staring, because the mark looked rather… _old,_ and though there was a faint sort of scent of alpha there was nothing that would really give the omega away as a bonded pair. 

Separated? That was pretty common, in this day and age. Iwa wouldn’t mind. It’d be easy enough to reclaim—

Wait. That was jumping about a million miles ahead of himself. 

The omega and employee had finished, and Iwa realized he hadn’t offered to help clean up at all. 

Fuck he was already off to a really shitty start. 

“Ah, um,” he reached out, but then pulled his hand back in, the omega looking at him curiously. “Sorry,” Iwa began, “I was in my own head so I didn’t see you—”

The omega held up his hand, “No harm done. But if it had gotten on my shoes I may have made you buy me new ones.” The omega smiled charmingly, in a way that made Iwa pretty certain that a smile like that had gotten him more than just a pair of free shoes in the past. 

Still, Iwa managed to chuckle, “Actually, you look sort of familiar. I coach at the park a few blocks down so I see a lot of faces.” 

The omega glanced at him curiously, “Yeah, I live in the area.” 

“Ah,” Iwa nodded, trying to feign ignorance, “That’s probably why. Um,” he stuck his hand out awkwardly, “I’m Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi Hajime. Sorry again, about the pudding.” 

The omega took it, shaking it lightly, “Oikawa Tooru. Don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s just pudding.” 

Iwa gave a nervous chuckle, “Right.” He cleared his throat, wanting to talk a bit longer but not knowing what else to say. “So, uh, maybe I’ll see you around?”

Oikawa didn’t have time for this. Any longer and his mother would definitely give Eiji something weird and no-doubt garlic filled. So he smiled at the stranger, trying to make it as least awkward as possible before he walked away to go pick up some chocolate ice cream. 

The line was short, and he didn’t run into the stranger again, so it was mostly smooth sailing all the way back to his apartment. 

He walked in to find his mother doing the dishes, which Tooru cringed at, because he’d just have to do them all over again. 

“He’s still asleep,” she informed, “When he wakes up give him a glass. It should stay hot for a while. And not too many sweets, Tooru, that boy is going to end up with cavities.” 

Tooru inhaled, shoving the ice cream into the freezer, “Good thing they’re only baby teeth then, huh?” 

His mother clicked her tongue disapprovingly, before setting down the last of the dishes andthen kissing Tooru on the cheek. “I have to get going,” she said, “Your father hasn’t had his dinner yet.” 

“It’s not even six,” Tooru said, “He’ll be fine.” 

Again, she patted her son sweetly on the cheek, “Give him a kiss for me when he wakes up.” 

Oikawa smiled, “Will do.” 

Once the door was officially closed, Oikawa finally seemed able to catch a breath. He glanced at the weird green drink his mother had made, and considered it for a moment, before dumping it down the drain. 

With another heavy sigh, he made his way to Eiji’s room, calling out to him. The young alpha peeked under the covers, meeting his mother’s eyes. 

“You know, it’s very rude to fake sleep when your grandma is worried about you.” 

“But Mommy!” Eiji sat up, always quick to defend himself, “She would’ve made me drink that tea!” 

“I know it doesn’t taste very good but neither does medicine. She’s just showing she cares, right?” 

Eiji nodded somewhat solemnly. 

Oikawa sat at the edge of the bed, pushing his son’s hair back to feel his forehead. “No fever.” He determined. 

“I feel fine!” The child seemed anxious, squirming slightly as he sat. 

Oikawa gave a knowing smile. “Fine enough to watch a movie?” 

“With chocolate pudding?”

“We’re out of pudding. But we have ice cream~” 

“Yes!” Eiji jumped off the bed, scurrying to the living room, “I wanna watch _Cars!”_

Oikawa didn’t let his son hear the groan that pushed past gritted teeth. He didn’t even have the chance to create a diversion. Maybe one of these days he’d just throw the damn movie away. 

Still, though, he smiled as best he could, telling Eiji he’d get the ice cream ready, if he would start the movie. Eiji was way ahead of him, though, already popping the DVD open and playing with the remote. 

“And you owe Grandma a big kiss next time she comes!”

“Yes Mommy!” 

The omega shook his head with an incredulous sort of scoff, moving all of the dishes his mother had washed back into the sink so that he could wash them himself later. Then he grabbed two spoons, and pulled the ice cream from the fridge, struggling slightly with the safety wrap. 

The doorbell rang again, and Eiji tossed his head over the couch in a questioning look, Oikawa returning the same look of surprise. 

“Grandma probably forgot something,” he motioned to Eiji, “Go ahead and start it.” 

Oikawa opened the door without looking, because he didn’t really think it could be anyone else. 

Well. He’d been wrong before. 

Standing there, panting, and holding up a grocery bag was the guy he’d met just moments before at the Family Mart. Which was sort of…

“What are you—”

“Hi,” he blurted, somewhat unceremoniously, pushing up the grocery bag, “I’m sorry, I know this probably seems really fucking creepy. To be honest I was sort of debating outside your door for a while but—I know this is a crazy long shot, seeing as you’ve been marked before and believe me I don’t usually do things like this but I just feel really drawn to you.”

Oikawa raised an eyebrow, keeping a solid hold of the door which he’d never fully opened. “How do you know where I live?” 

Iwa faltered for a moment, rubbing the back of his head, “Well, the truth is I did recognize you. I really do coach, right over there,” he pointed towards the park, “So I see when you get home most days. N-Not in a creepy way!” He quickly added, “I just mean you’re in my line of vision—” He swallowed, bowing slightly and once more offering the grocery bag, “I know it’s completely crazy but if possible I’d like to properly ask you out—that is, if you’re not currently bonded—”

“Mommy?” 

Iwa nearly choked on his own words, looking down to see the small child by Tooru’s feet.

“Oh…fu—” 

“I would appreciate you not talking like that in front of my son.” 

Iwa stood back up immediately. “Right. Shi—sorry. I’m. Aha. Jeez.” He stuttered over himself, running a hand anxiously through his hair, “I really—truly—so sorry. I always get ahead of myself. I’m sure you and your alpha are really happy—”

Oikawa leaned against the door. “I’m happily separated.” 

“Oh.” 

It was obvious the alpha was strange. But Tooru always had pretty strong instincts. And nothing about him seemed threatening in the least. Like one of those big dogs that were only good for receiving belly rubs. Plus it was sort of nice. It’d been a while since Oikawa had been approached like this. It happened quite a bit in University, but these days most people knew he was just a mom. 

Opening the door just a tad, Oikawa took the grocery bag and examined the contents, before handing it to Eiji. “I’m flattered, truly. But I already have a man in my life,” he patted Eiji’s head, “And he’s my number one priority.” 

“I…completely understand.” Iwa cleared his throat, not really knowing why he had pushed so hard to begin with.

Eiji ruffled through the bag, digging in and pulling out the package of pudding cups, analyzing them carefully before looking up at the alpha. 

“Chocolate is my favorite.” He informed. 

Iwa nodded, somewhat defeated. “Same.” 

Eiji looked at his mom, before looking back at the alpha, “We’re watching Cars. Do you wanna watch with us?” 

“Oh,” Iwa shook his hands, “I don’t think that’s a good—”

“Eiji,” Tooru chastised, “What did I tell you about strangers?”

The young alpha looked at his mother, cocking his head curiously, “But he’s not a stranger. He has a crush on Mommy.” 

Oikawa opened his mouth before he shut it again, Iwa giving an amused scoff. “He’s sharp, isn’t he?”

Tooru glanced at the alpha. “Well,” he put his hand on Eiji’s head again, “He’s my son, after all.” 

Iwa nodded.

“Mommy puts cheerios in the pudding,” Eiji continued, “They taste really good.” 

Despite everything, Iwa couldn’t help but genuinely smile, “That sounds delicious, little man. You’re really lucky to have such a great mom.” 

“Do you like _Cars_?” 

Iwa glanced at Oikawa, as if silently asking permission to continue on this conversation. The omega didn’t seem _too_ irritated, giving him a short nod, so Iwa answered. 

“The first or the second one?”

“The first one, of course.” 

“Yeah,” Iwa said, “That’s the good one. More Lightening McQueen in it.” 

Eiji let out a terrifying sort of gasp, tugging at his mother’s pants, “He knows Lightening McQueen!” 

Iwa didn’t know what was happening, but the energy had definitely shifted. 

“Eiji—“

“Mommy never gets his name right! Have you seen the other ones? We saw the new one and it was _super_ cool with all of the…” 

Eiji continued bubbling, and Oikawa let out a tired sort of sigh, fully opening up the door, and motioning for Iwa to follow, “You may as well come in,” he said, “He’s never gonna stop, now.” 

“Sorry,” Iwa managed, “I really didn’t mean to intrude—”

“That went out the window the moment you rang the doorbell,” Oikawa smiled pleasantly, shutting the door behind him. “Can I get you any tea?” 

Eiji was still going on in excited childish banter about Lightening McQueen, even though he’d disappeared into one room or another, but Iwa could still _hear_ him and Oikawa was giving him the kind of smile that made Iwa wonder if he’d be murdered before the night was over.

Maybe he should just excuse himself and leave. 

But he had a toy car shoved in his face just then, little Eiji beaming up at him, “I got this one last Christmas! Push the top!” 

Iwa did as he was told, and a loud racing sound exploded from the toy, Eiji mimicking it with his own mouth. 

The alpha laughed at that, and by now Tooru had returned with some tea, warning Iwa that they weren’t starting the movie from the beginning. 

“That’s fine with me.” 

“It’s ok,” Eiji said, “It hasn’t started yet.” 

“Oh,” Oikawa sat down with fake enthusiasm, “Goodie.” 

Eiji patted the couch, telling Iwa that he could sit right next to him. Oikawa tensed slightly at that, but allowed it to happen, because this guy was already in the apartment, after all. And if worst came to worst, Oikawa could throw a hell of a punch. He was slightly disturbed with himself on how easily he allowed some unknown alpha into his home. But there was something in his scent that made Oikawa feel at ease. Which was one of the few things he hated about his status. Instinct had never been something he was ever very good at fighting. And after how overwhelmed he’d been all weekend, the omega in him just wanted to curl up and relax. 

Besides, it’s not like he ever planned on seeing this alpha ever again anyway. And the way Eiji looked right now was something Oikawa was incredibly weak to. He hadn’t seen his son this excited over something in a while, unless it included that puppy he wanted.

Maybe it was because they were both alphas. Tooru tensed slightly at the thought. 

“What’s your name?” Eiji looked up at the alpha innocently, holding the remote to his chest. 

“Iwaizumi,” he replied, “But you can just call me Iwa.” 

Eiji nodded, before returning his attention to the television. 

“Tell me your first name again.” Oikawa said, looking at Iwa. 

Iwa swallowed, suddenly really intimidated, having to stare at the omega dead-on. There weren’t very many omegas who were capable of something like that. Maybe he should have given this more thought. But, he was here, so that counted for something, right?

“Hajime.” 

Oikawa nodded, humming somewhat pensively, before returning his attention to the movie. “I’ll remember that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tooru's mom seems like a fun lady. Also I cranked out chapter two and three and currently working on the fourth. I wanted to be mean and make you guys wait a week but I'm kind of too fucking excited so~ Have at it. Comments are always greatly appreciated ^o^ Thanks guys!!
> 
> Feel free to reach out on tumblr~ I've got the same name everywhere and like chatting ^o^


	3. Chapter 3

They didn’t make it 45 minutes into the movie without Eiji falling asleep. He’d managed to tire himself out, what with the way he’d narrated everything, providing all of the sound effects the movie had to offer, excitedly explaining the obvious to their new guest, and going off about how he hoped Disneyland Tokyo would build their own version of Cars Land as well. And when all was said and done, his son fell right to sleep, curled up against the alpha. 

“Sorry,” Oikawa pried his sleeping son off the alpha, cradling him close to his chest, “I just have to put him upstairs.” 

“Sure—yeah, no problem. I’ll—”

“You’ll wait there.” Oikawa pointed to him, making sure he stayed on the couch.

“Yes.” Iwa gave a firm nod, feeling like he was back in school. 

He sat somewhat anxiously on the couch, despite the fact that scent present in the apartment was a rather relaxing one. One that Hajime hadn’t come across in very many omegas. It was a tell-tale sign for compatibility, wasn’t it? If an omega smelled comforting, that is. But almost more than that, Oikawa smelled _familiar._ And Iwa couldn’t figure out where he’d caught his scent before.

Oikawa came back down the stairs, and Iwa sat up a bit straighter, trying his best to smile. “All good?”

Tooru cleared his throat rather unceremoniously, walking up to the couch and reaching for the empty pudding cups in order to clean up. “He’s all tucked in.”

Iwa nodded, holding his smile.

“So,” Oikawa began, moving into the kitchen, “Are you a stalker?” 

Iwa got up, following him, “No. I know you probably don’t believe me but…”

“Do you always follow omegas to their front doors?” 

“No—god no—not at all.” 

Oikawa sort of smiled at that, throwing the pudding cups away and starting on the dishes. “Just so you know,” he said, “I have friends in the police. And not the Koban kind either.” 

Iwa held his hands up, “I definitely believe you.” He said, watching the omega. It was silent for a bit, Iwa’s head rushing with possible things he could say. 

“Listen, about what I said before—”

Oikawa looked up, halting slightly on the dishes, “I heard you the first time. I hope me allowing you to stay didn’t give you any sort of expectations. This,” he motioned around him, “Is my life. It’s full of runny noses and never going to the bathroom alone and always rushing to beat the clock because no two things are ever scheduled separately. And as crazy as that is that’s what I love.” 

“I get that,” Iwa jumped in, “I really do—”

“Then why are you still here?” 

Iwa was slightly taken aback by the question, but the omega continued, not giving him a chance to reply.

“Most alpha’s aren’t crazy about a marked omega with a kid. I really, really am flattered that you went this far. But you don’t have to keep this up for my sake. And dating isn’t really something I’m all that interested in myself.” 

Iwa inhaled, “I get that Eiji is the most important thing to you. I’d never try to get in between that. Even if it’s just as friends…I’d be really happy. I can’t explain it, but it’s like I said. I’m just drawn to you.” 

Tooru looked him up and down. “I’ve heard better pickup lines, you know.” 

“That’s not a pickup line. I’m just trying to be honest with you, right now, the same way you are with me.” 

Oikawa said nothing, seemingly thinking about it, returning his attentions to the dishes at hand. 

The alpha swallowed, wondering if maybe he’d said too much. And Tooru still wasn’t replying. Iwa figured he should change the topic, before the omega made up his mind to kick him out or something like that.

“Do you, uh,” Iwa tried to move closer, motioning to the dishes, “Do you want help with that?” 

Oikawa shook his head, setting them on the rack to dry, “I like it done a certain way.” 

“So you’re particular about things like that?” 

“Mmm,” the omega scrunched up his features, “I prefer the term persnickety.” 

Iwa found himself leaning against the counter, relaxing slightly at the omega’s tone. “Yeah? How come?”

Tooru looked up with a grin, “It’s more fun to say.” 

Iwa couldn’t help but chuckle, leaning in a bit more, “So what do you do?” 

The water shut off, Oikawa patting his hands dry on his pants, reaching for a rag to dry the plates, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you questions?” 

The alpha nodded in agreement, “Ask away.” 

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven.” 

“Occupation?”

“Salaryman. Coaching is a side thing.” 

Tooru hummed at that, “You’re obviously good with kids. Honestly thank god he fell asleep because if I had to listen to one more minute of Queen McLightening…” 

The alpha laughed, and Oikawa looked at him curiously, because it wasn’t the kind of laugh that was in agreement, but rather, sounded like it was directed at Oikawa himself. 

“What?”

“Lightening McQueen.”

Oikawa threw the rag down on the counter, before picking it back up. “Goddamnit! I hate English names! What kind of a name is Lightening McQueen?” He motioned with his hands, as if to get the alpha to agree with him, “It makes more sense to say Queen McLightening! And I always switch it in my head because it sounds wrong but the wrong sounding one is actually the right one—”

The alpha was laughing again, and Oikawa was starting to get annoyed. 

“ _What.”_

“Nothing,” Iwa said, curbing his laughter and bringing a hand up to his mouth, “That’s just…kind of endearing as hell. You really try for him, don’t you?” 

“He’s my son.” Oikawa responded pointedly, picking up the next dish, “That much is obvious.” 

Iwa felt his chest swell strangely. Maybe it was the omega’s scent. Or maybe it was something else entirely. 

“I wanna adjust what I said. I do want to take you on a proper date. But—the both of you, if that'd be ok.”

Oikawa set the last of the dishes down, “You don't know when to give up, do you?”

“Never have,” Iwa grinned, “What does Eiji like to eat—“

Oikawa held his hand up to stop him, setting the rag to dry on the oven handle. “We prefer to eat in. We're all together on Fridays so you're free to stop by around 5. From here to Friday gives you enough time to seriously consider something like this. If you don't show up I'll just assume you came to your senses, and we can all move on with our lives.”

Iwa nodded, once again feeling that strange intimidation that came from the omega. But he wasn't sure if it was intimidation or just an overload of information. 

“Ok. Friday, at five.”

Oikawa nodded, leaning against the counter. 

“Can I ask you something now?”

Tooru waved his hand, as if saying _by all means._

“I already know Eiji loves pudding, but, what do you like?” 

The omegas eyes widened, before he shook his head, “I don't like sweets much.”

Iwa gave a questioning look, urging him to go on.

Oikawa looked him up and down, slowly standing up a bit straighter. “…Olives.”

“Olives?”

He nodded, “With cheese.”

Iwa nodded in reply, smiling to himself, “I'll remember that.” 

“No need,” Oikawa managed on an exhale, walking towards the alpha, and then past him, “I'll show you out.”

Iwa didn't need a stronger cue than that, following the omega to the door and taking every opportunity to soak in the beautiful outline that was this omega’s back. 

The alpha would be lying if he said he didn’t sneak a peak at just _below_ the omega’s back, too.

“Until Friday, or never again.” The omega smiled pleasantly, leaning playfully against the door, once Hajime was outside. 

“Friday.” Iwa affirmed.

The omega hummed. “Goodnight, Mr. Iwaizumi Hajime.”

“Goodnight,” Iwa swallowed, “Oikawa-san.”

The door was shut right in his face but Iwa couldn't bring himself to be mad. 

How could he, after everything that'd just happened? Sure, most of it was a euphoric sort of blur but that didn't matter. 

He'd finally met him. Spoken to him. Gone into his _house._

It was sort of stupid, how much his blood was rushing, how it felt like he’d gotten a shot of adrenaline in his veins, feeling so giddy that he ran down the steps and jumped off the last set, chuckling softly to himself in complete and utter awe. 

He did it. For once in his life he didn’t completely fuck up. He strutted down the relatively empty streets—as empty as Tokyo could get, anyway—making his way past the station, and the movie theater, and that little bakery he sometimes went to. Part of him wanted to go in, but at the same time, he couldn’t wait to get home and bask in the night’s events. 

Inside the bakery, however, Akaashi was having one hell of a time. 

“It’s fine, I’ll get the mop—”

“No, it was completely my fault—”

“You’re the customer—”

“But it was still my fault!” 

It didn’t matter what Akaashi seemed to say, because Bokuto took the mop from his hands anyway, cleaning up the drink he’d spilled. Luckily it had been in a to-go cup, so there was no glass to pick up. Not to mention there weren’t very many customers at this hour, so Akaashi was freed from judge-filled stares. 

“Well,” Akaashi stood by the counter awkwardly, the alpha wiping the ground by his feet, “Thank you. Should I ever need a busboy I’d know who to call.” 

“It’s no problem,” Bokuto brushed it away, “I used to do this all the time at the club.” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened, “Club?” 

“Yeah, I own a bar! Sort of by accident really. Classy place though, you’d like it. Hey, you should stop by some time!” 

Bokuto always spoke in such a flurry of words.

“Um—”

The alpha let the mop rest against the counter, reaching for his wallet and seemingly not finding what he was looking for. He patted his pockets, before looking up at the omega in defeat. “Damn it. Don’t have a card on me,” he picked up the mop again, “But it’s called _The Port._ It’s in Roppongi. You should be able to find it online.” 

Akaashi nearly swooned. This man owned a club in _Roppongi?_

“I could make you a drink,” Bokuto continued, unaware, “There’s lots to choose from. I started off as a bartender so I can customize anything you want—”

“Oh,” Akaashi snapped back to his senses, shaking his hands, “I’m not very good with alcohol.” 

“Oh that’s fine!” Bokuto beamed, “There’s lots of options with seltzer water and soda and stuff. I’m pretty good, you know!” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but laugh at that, nodding his head in agreement. “I’d like that.” 

“Yeah?” The alpha gave a shy sort of smile, looking at the omega with hopeful nervousness, “Then…if you’re free… _when—whenever_ you’re free…you can drop by, if you want…” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but glance away and stare at his shoes, feeling his cheeks start to burn. “I’d like that, Bokuto-san.” 

“Really?” Bokuto nearly _jumped,_ before immediately calming himself, “I mean, yeah. Cool. Whenever is fine. I’m there most nights so…well not tonight, obviously. But most nights…” 

Akaashi bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling, “Definitely.” 

Bokuto was left in a sort of daze, staring at the omega with a dopey kind of smile that perhaps gave too much away. But he caught sight of the clock, just then, and shook his head to bring himself back to reality. 

“Crap, I’m late,” he handed the mop off to Akaashi, “Sorry, I hate to leave so suddenly—”

The omega shook his head, “It’s no problem.” 

“I’ll see you later!” Bokuto shot him a large grin, nearly running into the door as he left because he was staring at Akaashi the whole way through. 

It didn’t take him very long to get to Tooru’s apartment, especially considering his head was filled with nothing but Akaashi, and time always seemed to speed up, whenever he thought of the omega. They’d have their first date soon enough, he figured. 

Hopefully.

He’d definitely make him something good to drink. Something that would make the omega smile.

Damn was Akaashi pretty when he smiled. 

Such were Bokuto’s thoughts as he climbed up the last set of stairs and let himself into Tooru’s apartment. Humming to himself, he took off his shoes and made his way into the kitchen, only to find Oikawa sitting at the counter, flipping listlessly through a magazine, wine glass in hand. 

And from the looks of it, it wasn’t his first glass, either. Which only meant one thing. Because Oikawa only drank when he was…

Bokuto sniffed around, glancing curiously at Oikawa. How had he not noticed it before? 

“It smells like alpha in here.”

Oikawa let out a tired sigh, setting the now empty glass down. “Well that's probably because there was an alpha in here.”

“ _You_ let an alpha,” Bokuto scoffed, not believing it, “What for? Work?”

Tooru sucked on his spoon, Bokuto only just noticing the omega was also working on a pudding cup, Oikawa’s mouth still half full as he replied, “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

“Try me,” Bokuto made his way to the opposite side of the counter, pulling up one of the stools. 

Oikawa explained it all as best he could, watching Bokuto’s expressions change the more the story progressed. 

Definitely not the most unbelievable thing Bokuto had ever heard. But still. It was up there.

“…he was just so good with him. Eiji basically fell asleep on his lap.” 

“Well, that’s a good sign, isn’t it?” 

Tooru’s bottom lip trembled. “I guess.” 

Bokuto took a careful inhale, because he knew that look. And that look plus the wine…that wasn’t a good thing. “Tooru?”

The omega didn’t look at him, was simply focused on a spot on the counter. “Do you think…” he began, voice shaking, “Do you think he’s missing a father figure?”

“Tooru—”

“I know, I know,” he looked up, as if trying to keep from crying, “But I just, I know I can’t be everything he needs. And Eiji is an alpha too—gods, Kou, you should have seen it he was gentle with him—and he knew what that freaking Cars thing was so Eiji was super excited and I—”

Oikawa’s voice cracked, and the tears came silent and hot, the omega putting a hand over his mouth and sniffling, trying to keep it under control. 

“Sorry, I’m all over the place.” 

“This is exactly why,” Bokuto grabbed the wine bottle, corking it again and putting it on one of the top cabinets, “You shouldn’t drink when you’re anxious.” 

“I only had one glass—”

“We both know you had two,” Bokuto sat back down, taking the pudding cup away too. “You’re a fucking mess.” 

Oikawa nodded, “I know.” 

“Eiji is like way happy. And it’s not like he’s short on alpha figures to look up to, if that’s what you’re worried about. I mean ya got me. And your mom. There’s that one dude at the daycare.”

“I know.” 

“He’s seriously like the most loved kid ever. And how many other kids have single parents and they’re fine? Give me a break. You’re better than that.” He lightly punched the omega in the chest, giving a reassuring smile. 

Oikawa inhaled, wiping his face, “You’re right.” He shook his head, letting out a sharp exhale, in what seemed to be a full recovery. 

Bokuto nodded with satisfaction, folding his hands over the table. “Now on to the more important things,” Bokuto waggled his eyebrows, “You gonna hit that?” 

Oikawa narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to _hit_ anything.”

“Tooru, come on it's been _years_ —“

He clicked his tongue, “It hasn't been that long—“

“Ever since you got pregnant it's always been about Eiji—“

“That's how it should be—“

“I'm not saying it's not! But you deserve a little you time too.”

Oikawa fiddled with his fingers, trying to make himself look busy, “I have me time all the time.” 

“The train ride to and from work does not count.”

Tooru made a face, “Ha, ha, very funny.” 

“Oh come on Tooru this guy was totally into you! And you so obviously loved it!”

“No—“

“Dude. You let him into your _house._ “

Oikawa stiffened, “That was just…courtesy.”

“Courtesy.”

“Yes.”

Bokuto scoffed before he gave a knowing smile, leaning in, “How hot was he?”

Oikawa gave a loud groan, collapsing completely onto the counter and speaking into his arm, “Gods Kou he was so fucking _hot—_ ”

“I knew it!! But watch your language! There's a _child_ upstairs—”

“Ok his arms,” Tooru shot his head up, motioning with his hands, “Like, _you_ status, ok I've never seen arms so freaking—graaaaghhhh.” He let his head flop down on the counter again, grumbling to himself. 

“Did he smell good?”

Oikawa popped his head out, pouting. “Yes. God. So fucking good. Not even in _that_ way he just…he smelled nice.”

“Yeah?”

“I swear if Eiji hadn’t fallen asleep on him first I definitely would have.” 

Bokuto whistled, and Oikawa made a face, sticking his tongue out at him.

“You know, scent is always a strong indicator—“

Tooru scoffed, getting up and heading towards the coffee pot. “Not like it matters.”

“Don't start with me. You still got mad game.”

“Bokuto,” he shoved the pot under the faucet, “No one wants a marked omega with a kid. Not seriously, anyway.”

“I don't believe that.”

“Well that's the reality.”

“Bullshit. You've always had alphas swooning over you. All that dick you got in college—“

Oikawa shushed him furiously, “Eiji is upstairs—!”

“And you're still tripping on dick now!” Bokuto whisper-shouted, “You deserve this!”

“I don't want to.” Tooru added indignantly. 

Bokuto rolled his eyes. “Come on. Have you even had an alpha after Kaito?” 

Oikawa stiffened, turning off the faucet, only now realizing he’d overfilled the coffee pot. Slowly, he drained out the excess water. “You know the answer to that.” 

“All the more reason.” Bokuto determined, nodding his head, “This’ll be good for you.”

“It's not about what's good for me. I don't want to get involved with this guy and then suddenly have him decide a kid is too much work. You know how quickly Eiji gets attached to things.” 

“And yet you still invited him to dinner.”

Bokuto seemed oblivious to the little growl that had formed at the base of Oikawas throat. 

“That’s assuming he shows up in the first place. Besides, I need your judgement. This way we can all decide together. Eiji included.”

“Speaking of the little guy,” Bokuto glanced at the clock, noting it was already 9:30, “Isn't he usually up by now?”

Oikawa followed the alpha’s gaze. “He was sick. It's probably better he just sleep through the night.”

Bokuto nodded in agreement, until he heard little patters coming slowly down the stairs. “Heh, spoke too soon.” 

Oikawa smiled, turning to the fridge to grab the milk. 

Bokuto leaned against his chair, calling out to the young alpha, “You’re late, champ.” 

Eiji rubbed his eyes, letting the world come into focus. “Uncle Bokuto?” He yawned, and the alpha nodded in the affirmative, opening up his arms so that Eiji could climb onto his lap. Bokuto settled him there, and Eiji looked past the counter at his mom. 

“Can I have my milk, Mommy?”

“Of course, sweetheart.” Tooru said, already filling his cup.

Eiji looked up at his uncle, then had a glance around the room, finding it to be empty. 

“Did Mr. Iwa leave?” 

Oikawa closed the top on the sippy cup, handing it to his son, “He did. But he left all that pudding just for you.”

Eiji took his milk, drinking it quietly and thinking to himself. The adults didn't talk until he spoke up once more. 

“Will he come visit again?”

Oikawa shot a worried glance at Bokuto, Bokuto returning it, before Oikawa smiled nice and big at Eiji. “Maybe! He's got a lot of work to do so he’s busy. But even if he can't, today was fun, right? With the movie and snacks?”

Eiji nodded, swinging his legs and then pulling on his uncle’s shirt, so that he could whisper something in secret. 

_“I think he’ll be back for sure.”_

“Oh ho?” Bokuto pulled back, so that he could look at the young alpha, “And what makes you say that?” He leaned in again, so that Eiji could continue to whisper.

_“Mr. Iwa was an alpha,”_ Eiji explained, _“And he had a crush on Mommy.”_

Bokuto made his eyes pop in exaggerated surprise, “You don't say—“

“Oy,” Tooru took a sip of his coffee, glaring at the pair, “What're you two gossiping about over there?”

Eiji giggled mischievously, looking up at Bokuto to give an excuse. The alpha did so without missing a beat. 

“Sorry,” he said fakely, “Can't tell you. Top secret information.” 

Eiji was _really_ giggling now, practically bouncing on Bokutos lap in anticipation. 

Tooru gave a long, extended sigh, setting his cup down with everlasting patience. “Top…secret…? So you won't tell me?”

Eiji shook his head and pursed his lips, trying his best to keep from laughing. 

“Well!” Oikawa _boomed,_ slamming his hands down on the counter, “I'm left with no choice! I'll have to force you!”

“No!” Bokuto screeched in his best maiden voice, turning to shield Eiji, “He's just a child!”

Eiji was squealing now, because there was _nothing_ that was funnier than Uncle Bokuto’s high pitched voice, and so he jumped off the alpha’s lap, filling the apartment with giggles as his mother chased him around the couch, threatening to tickle the information out of him. 

It could be described as nothing more, than just another night in the Oikawa household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I love this chapter. I think updates will be a bit slower from now on, since my rush is dying down. Comments are always greatly appreciated! I love knowing what y'all think ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Akaashi didn't know what he was doing, considering it was a Wednesday night of all things. He had to be up at four tomorrow, but this was what happened when he gave in to his curiosity.Well, more so than the curiosity…

He just really wanted to see Bokuto working. 

So he closed up shop, and took the train to Roppongi, desserts in hand. Part of him thought maybe he shouldn’t bring anything, but he figured since Bokuto was always bringing him dinner, the least he could do was return the favor with a few sweets. 

Arriving in Roppongi was a sort of surreal experience. One that made him think he shouldn’t have come straight from work, because his work clothes were more of a function over fashion sort of thing. But that was all Bokuto ever saw him in, and he didn’t seem to mind, so Akaashi figured he’d be fine. 

He didn’t plan on staying very long anyway. 

Clutching his phone in his hand, he tried to pull up the directions from the station to _The Port_. It didn't take him very long to get there, however, since rather than the directions he just started following the crowd that had begun to gather. Which was an incredibly difficult sort of thing to grasp, considering it was a Wednesday night. 

Did people not have jobs?

Still, he made his way to the shop, feeling hopelessly out of place, wishing he'd worn his patches to mask his scent. His anxiety had a way of seeping through anything. 

So before stepping up to the front, he took a moment to compose himself, clutching tightly at the desserts and taking in deep inhales that would hopefully steady him.

One of the hosts welcomed him, and Akaashi nodded respectfully, noticing that nearly everything here held Bokuto’s platonic scent. He really _was_ the owner, wasn’t he? 

Clearing his throat, and trying to get a hold of himself, Akaashi reached out to the host, asking if the owner was in today. 

"I'm looking for Bokuto-san. Bokuto Koutarou." 

The host shook their head regrettably. “I’m sorry, he’s very busy at the moment." 

Akaashi tugged at his fingers, "Could you tell him it's Akaashi Keiji? From the bakery—“ 

"I'm really sorry, but we're slightly understaffed today, and he's currently taking care of some issues. Would you prefer the bar or a table?"

Akaashi figured he should just call it quits right then and there. In fact, he very well wanted to, what with how crowded it was getting, and the omega had never done well with crowds, but before he really had a chance to think he’d responded that the _bar would be fine._

Bokuto had said he was a bartender sometimes, right?

It was a long shot. But it was all he really had right now. 

The host showed him to his seat, and offered him a menu, which Akaashi took gratefully, because he was pretty sure he wouldn't know what to order in the first place. Especially considering he hadn’t planned on ordering anything at all. 

He wondered if it would be rude to just order a simple soda. 

_The Port_ had a decent arrangement of food, but he wasn't very hungry, courtesy of Bokuto-san and his left overs. Akaashi felt like the alpha had given him enough food to last him for the next three weeks. 

Not that he'd ever ask him to stop, though. It was one of the few things that was tying them together. 

And more than that, Bokuto was a pretty decent cook. 

The bartender approached him, asking him if he wanted anything to drink. 

"Just a coke," Akaashi said, "To start." 

The bartender nodded, scooping up some ice and shooting the soda into the glass with what Akaashi assumed was a sort of soda-hose to increase efficiency. 

_Christ_ when was the last time he'd been to a bar?

This one was very nice, though. Bokuto wasn’t lying when he said it was classy. Though Akashi would have described it as more elegant than anything else. The back of the bar was lined with glasses and bottles of alcohol arranged by liquor and color, making it pleasing to the eye. On either side of the arrangement were two large swinging doors that Akaashi guessed led to the kitchen.

His eyes glazed over the menu again, but they didn’t stay there for very long, because the doors swung open, someone coming through carrying a large box. 

It was heavy, from the looks of it, considering the man’s arms were strained and Akaashi wondered what on earth he might be carrying that could be that heavy. It was set down on the opposite counter, away from the guests, Akaashi taking a brief moment to admire the man’s back. 

Akaashi didn’t need scent or for the man to turn around in order to know who he was. That spiked salt and pepper hair gave everything away.

Of course, that didn’t stop Akaashi from nearly swooning out of his stool when Bokuto _did_ turn around. 

Usually, Bokuto wore nothing but a t-shirt and some shorts. Jeans, on the rare occasion. But _this…_

Bokuto Koutarou should be forced to wear a button-down shirt every day for the rest of his _life._

The sleeves were partially rolled up, probably since he had been carrying the boxes, but all that did was further accentuate the muscle that was underneath. The strain on the fabric made Akaashi never want to look away. In fact, part of him wanted to ask the alpha to turn around again, so Akaashi could better appreciate his shoulders. 

"Just start replacing these new ones with the ones in the cabinet. We have to have them restocked by tomorrow for the party coming in."

The bartender gave a nod, ”Sure thing, boss." 

Akaashi watched the interaction in a bit of a daze. He’d never heard Bokuto’s voice sound so commanding before, so dominant, so… _alpha._

He could feel the shivers going down his spine. 

He was so lost in his admiration, that by the time he snapped out of it, Bokuto was already walking away back into the kitchen.

"Um, excuse me," Akaashi called out, but wasn't heard over the chatter, and Bokuto disappeared behind the swinging doors. So Akaashi just quietly sipped his soda instead, hoping no one had heard him. 

This was embarrassing. He should have just gone home when he had the chance. 

While he drank his soda, Akaashi watched the bartender start to unpack the boxes, pulling out some expensive looking wine glasses, and setting them carefully in a row along the back of the bar. 

It wasn’t long before Bokuto came out again, carrying another box, the strain making the muscles in his arms bulge, and Akaashi thought that this alone was enough reason to not go home just yet. 

Maybe he should get the alpha to help around in the bakery. Akaashi would definitely enjoy watching the alpha carry around his stacks of baking trays. 

“Make sure to wipe em before you set them in the display.” 

“Understood.” 

Taking another sip of the soda, and nearly choking on his straw, Akaashi inhaled, calling out to the alpha one more time. “Bokuto-sa—"

"Excuse me,"

Akaashi turned, so focused on Bokuto that he hadn't noticed another alpha claim the seat beside his.

_Right_ beside his. 

"I've never seen you around here before. Is it your first time?"

Akaashi glanced at the swinging doors, Bokuto no longer in sight. He didn’t really want to deal with another alpha right now. It was Wednesday, for god sakes. 

Still, he tried his best to be courteous. "Yes..." He answered cautiously, though he immediately regretted it, because he should just nip this in the bud as soon as possible. 

The alpha gave a warm smile. "I recommend the fried dumplings. They come with a fantastic kimchi sauce. You'll love it." 

Akaashi managed a chaste smile. He should just leave now, before things escalated any further. ”I'm sure they're very delicious. But I don't plan on staying very long."

"Oh? How come?"

"I have work." He said curtly, no longer wanting to continue the conversation

"What do you do?" 

He was going to try to tell the alpha to leave him alone, because he was just about to leave anyway, but the doors swung open one more time, Bokuto carrying yet another box. 

Maybe it was instinct, or stupidity, or just the sudden rush of adrenaline that made him want to get away from the fried dumpling alpha, but Akaashi stood up, calling to Bokuto in a voice that was perhaps embarrassingly loud. 

Bokuto halted, setting the box down and then getting a proper look at the person who'd called his name. 

"Akaashi! You came!" 

The other alpha stiffened, though he tried to hold his smile, “You know the owner?” 

“Yes,” Akaashi said simply, “Please excuse me.” 

He didn’t need to say anything else, simply focus all his attention on Bokuto. 

“I’m glad you made it!” The smile Bokuto had on his face somehow made all the embarrassment worth it. And Akaashi found himself lowering his head slightly, as omegas were prone to do, before looking at Bokuto again. 

"I did," he smiled, "I'm afraid I can't stay very long—“

"Yeah no worries!" Bokuto leaned against the counter, "I'm just happy you’re here! Next time let Maki know up front. They'll come get me right away." 

"Ah, I tried that. It's my fault for coming on such a busy day." 

"Don't worry about that!" Bokuto was immediate in his reply, "It's just sorta crazy since we've got this thing booked for tomorrow. A bunch of wine people doing a tasting party or something, I don't know."

Akaashi couldn't help but laugh, taking the opportunity to tease the alpha slightly. "Aren't you the owner? That's probably something you should know, Bokuto-san." 

There was a nervous twitch to Bokuto's lips. "Yeah! No, of course I do! I just meant it as an expression—I mean—of course I know—I mean, this business—I really do take it seriously."

The omega smiled fondly at that, nodding his head in agreement. Bokuto was always so earnest. It was more attractive a quality than it should have been. "That, I have no doubts of."

The goofy smile returned to the alpha's face. 

Akaashi felt his heart pound, in a way that couldn’t be healthy in the least, so he used the sweets as a way to divert his attention. 

“I brought you this,” he held the paper bag up, placing it on the counter, “It’s a tiramisu creme brûlée. I’m not sure how you feel about coffee, but—”

“If you made it then I’ll probably love it!” Bokuto beamed, taking the bag and looking into it, still talking all the while. “Your stuff is always the best—gwaah Akaashi! This one looks fancy!” 

The omega managed a giggle, “It’s just topped with chocolate shavings is all.” 

“I love it! I’ll eat it after closing.” 

“Certainly.” Akaashi hoped the heat in his cheeks wasn’t translating into any sort of blush. 

“By the way, feel free to order anything. On the house.” 

Akaashi shook his hands, thinking that the heat was now most _certainly_ a blush "Oh, no. I just had a soda. I should be heading back—“

"Then don't worry about the soda," Bokuto grinned widely, waving to catch the attention of the bartender and telling him that he’d take care of whatever Akaashi ordered.

Now his stomach was fluttering, along with the unhealthy heart pounding. He tried to maintain a demure expression, hoping it wasn’t obvious that his scent glands were swelling slightly. “How very suave of you, Bokuto-san.” It was hardly loud enough to hear, Akaashi knew, but Bokuto managed to hear it regardless. 

“Is…” he leaned in, licking his lips somewhat anxiously, “Is that a bad thing?” 

“No,” Akaashi shook his head, biting his lip to hide his smile, “It’s rather gentlemanly.” 

Bokuto gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, you’re always letting me eat your desserts so…I just figured…” 

A stabbing feeling pierced Akaashi’s chest, because maybe all of this was just out of friendship, and not intended courtship. 

He didn’t want to think about that though, not when Bokuto was standing right in front of him, so he brushed it all away, changing the topic as quickly as possible. “You will have to tell me how it is you accidentally ended up with this shop one day." 

Bokuto laughed, was about to say something, but one of the waiters called out to him, and he had to excuse himself. 

Akaashi nodded in understanding. “Of course, I’m sorry to have kept you this long.” 

“Don’t worry,” Bokuto assured, “Next time I’ll treat you to some good food.”

Akaashi gave a gentle smile. “I’ll be looking forward to it.” 

The edge of the alpha’s lips tugged upwards, but he was called out to again, and he excused himself for the second time. 

“I’ll drop by the bakery again soon,” Bokuto promised, “Monday!” 

It was such a dazzling sort of expression that Akaashi was nearly whisked away by its brilliance. He inhaled deeply, to get a hold of himself, but that ended up being a bit of a failure, considering all he managed to inhale was nothing more than Bokuto’s scent. 

And it would have made him dizzy. 

But it smelled like Omega. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fighting me. I won't drag it out too much longer I promise lol. Comments are always much appreciated ^o^


	5. Chapter 5

His first thought was that this was the same alpha from the bakery who had miserably failed at flirting with the owner. His salt and pepper hair was hard to forget. But in the brief silence they held while the alpha looked him up and down, door still half closed, Iwa realized why Oikawa’s scent had been familiar, before. 

The alpha crossed his arms. “So _you’re_ Iwaizumi Hajime.” 

Iwa cleared his throat. The way he said that already sounded like an accusation. And it’s not like he was particularly intimidated, or anything. After all, Iwa was an alpha himself. 

But this guy was huge. 

“You must be the friend on the police force.” 

Bokuto’s eyes widened, before crinkling into a smile, “Something like that,” he opened the door fully, telling Iwa to come in. 

Iwa was just slipping off his shoes, when a hand was stuck in his face. 

“Bokuto Koutarou. Pleasure to meet you.” 

Iwa took his hand, shaking it with as much of a grip as he could manage, haphazardly kicking off his remaining shoe. “Iwaizumi Hajime. It smells good in here,” he complimented.

“I do most of the cooking,” Bokuto grinned, in a way that wasn’t really a grin at all, the two of them still shaking—really more like gripping—hands. 

“Uncle Bokuto Uncle Bokuto!” 

Immediately Bokuto let go, crouching down and opening him arms to catch Eiji. He picked him up with ease, resting him securely against his hip. 

Eiji whispered into his uncle’s ear, _“Mommy says to let him in already.”_

“That’s what I’m doing,” Bokuto said aloud, bouncing Eiji on his arm, “Say hello.” 

Eiji smiled nice and wide, clinging to Bokuto’s neck as he greeted the other alpha. “Hello Mr. Iwa!” 

Iwa smiled back, “Hey there, Eiji. Thank you for having me for dinner.” 

“Uncle Bokuto made curry!” 

“No wonder it smells so good.” 

Eiji nodded excitedly, “And Mommy made the salad. I helped!” 

“Can’t wait to try it.” 

Bokuto led him through the entryway and into the kitchen-dining area. 

Oikawa was setting the plates down at the table when they all walked in, smiling and greeting their guest.

“I brought dessert,” Iwa said, holding up the small paper bag, “I hope that’s ok.” 

“Sure,” Oikawa took the bag, looking inside, “Fridge?” 

“Um, it’s some sort of cake or something. So I guess?” 

Oikawa scoffed as he opened up the fridge and tucked the bag away. “Better safe than sorry.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Eiji popped up next to him, tugging at his pants. “You can sit next to me, Mr. Iwa.” 

“Sure,” he said, taking the child’s hand, “Lead the way.” 

The table was just big enough to seat four people, with Bokuto sitting directly across from Iwa. It was silent, but luckily it didn’t last too long, since Oikawa came out carrying three glasses and a kiddie cup.

“Pick your poison,” Oikawa smirked, setting them all down, “We have water, water, and water.” 

“I’ll have a water, thank you.” Iwa couldn’t help but chuckle until he realized that Eiji hadn’t taken his eyes off of him for a moment. He gave him an awkward smile. 

“Do you like juice Mr. Iwa?” 

“Yeah, sure,” he glanced up, thanking Oikawa as the water was placed in front of him, “Juice is good.” 

Eijji nodded excitedly in agreement, looking at his mom as Tooru while Bokuto went around serving the rice and curry. “Mommy—”

“Absolutely not—”

“But Mr. Iwa—”

“Iwaizumi-san is already an adult. You’re still growing, and juice has too much sugar.” 

Eiji pouted, squirming in his seat. Bokuto laughed, “Tooru, you give the kid soda. How is juice any worse?” 

Oikawa sat down with his own plate, “Because juice is advertised as being healthy when it’s actually not and I don’t support it.” 

“Isn’t that just you being petty?” 

Oikawa stretched his napkin out on his lap, pursing his lips, _“Isn’t that just you being petty?”_ He repeated obnoxiously, with his nose all scrunched up so that his voice came out in a nasal tone. It was enough to make Eiji laugh, and Iwa thought he’d be safe if he let out a chuckle as well. 

“So Tooru says you were a salaryman?” Bokuto’s sharp voice cut through the laughter, getting straight to business. Iwa cleared his throat. 

“Just your average grunt,” Iwa replied, “I do accounting mostly. We’re a small branch owned by a larger company so I kind of just do whatever they need me to.” 

Bokuto nodded, taking a bite of curry. 

“I’m gonna be a race car driver!” Eiji said excitedly, holding up his spoon, before his mother shot him a glare, so he quickly put it back down. It wasn’t enough to curb his excitement though, turning to Iwa and rambling off excitedly, “I’m gonna be the fastest in all of Japan and then in the whole wide world!” 

“That sounds pretty cool,” Iwa began, forgetting how passionate little kids could be. He usually dealt with older ones, so talking with Eiji was like a really bright breath of fresh air. 

“So long as he finishes school first.” Oikawa added.

Eiji nodded, “Mommy says if I finish college I can do it!” 

Iwa still didn’t know very much about them, but he knew enough to think that that was probably something typical of the omega. He smiled. “That’s good, school is really important.” 

Eiji smiled, seemingly happy that the alpha agreed. 

The silence was filled by the clinking of spoon against plates, and cups being picked up and then placed back down on the table.

“So,” Iwa started, directing his question to Bokuto, “How did you two meet?” He motioned between the alpha and Tooru.

Bokuto finished chewing, and wiped his mouth with the napkin before replying. “We’ve been together since middle school. We were both trying out for the volleyball team.” 

“I got rejected.” Tooru smiled. 

“That was unfair and you know it!” 

Tooru laughed, shaking his head, “That was years ago.” 

“What happened?” Iwa asked. 

Oikawa shot him a glance, before shrugging nonchalantly, “I’m an omega.” 

“Yeah things were pretty messed up back then,” Bokuto added, “Even though Tooru was one of the best players to try out.” 

Oikawa waved it away, “That’s in the past. Things have gotten better now.” 

Iwa nodded understandingly. It wasn’t ever something he really gave much thought. But looking back, he couldn’t really recall any omegas being on the teams back in high school either. 

“That must have been difficult. I’m sorry.” 

“Loss was on them,” Bokuto said, “This guy had the height and everything.”

“Well I still got to practice with you,” Oikawa said it almost fondly, “So it worked out ok.”

“Did you play, Iwaizumi?” Bokuto motioned with his spoon. 

Iwa shrugged humbly, “A little bit of everything. High school and college.” 

“No kidding,” Bokuto gave an aggressive sort of smile, “Me too.” 

Iwa shot him a glance. “Yeah? Like what?” 

“Oh, you know,” he leaned back, “Baseball, volleyball. The typical.” 

“Right, same here,” Iwa nodded, straightening his posture, unconsciously attempting to appear larger, “Except I did basketball and soccer too.” 

“Volleyball and basketball are the same season.” Bokuto didn’t bother to hide the way he’d narrowed his eyes.

“I dabbled.”

“No kidding.” 

Eiji watched the exchange, his head flinging from Bokuto to Iwa as each alpha spoke. “I play soccer!” He said happily, finally finding some space to interject, “We have a ball for play time and so we get into teams and last time it was my turn to be captain so I got to pick all of the good players!” 

The older alphas seemed to swallow their words, both of them turning their attention to Eiji. “Captain?” Iwa let himself grin, “That’s pretty exciting!” 

“Yeah!” Eiji nearly jumped up from his seat, “I had to wait because they pick your name from these sticks and then if it’s your stick then you get to be the captain!” 

“That sounds like it was a lot of fun,” Iwa laughed, “Do you like soccer?” 

“Mhmm!!” Eiji was chewing quickly, trying to swallow as fast as possible so he could keep on talking. Oikawa had to remind him to slow down. 

The young alpha continued to bubble about the game he’d played, and how he managed to scrape up his knee but he didn’t even cry. 

“Mommy did though.” 

Iwa raised his brow, Bokuto trying to hide his snort behind his hand, everyone turning to look at Oikawa. 

“I’m not good with blood,” Tooru justified behind his glass of water. “There’s a reason I didn’t go to medical school.” 

“What is it you do, Oikawa-san?” Iwa asked, taking another bite of curry.

“Mommy makes commercials!” 

Tooru gave half a smile, shaking his head. “That was only one time. Mostly I handle overall marketing strategies. Sometimes I get sent to work on a specific magazine or billboard if it’s a high traffic area.” 

“That’s amazing, being able to capture people’s attention,” Iwa added, “Having that kind of creativity—I don’t think I’d be very good at it.” 

“Most people aren’t.” Oikawa said with a smile, looking directly at the alpha. 

Iwa felt a strange instinctual pull. It wasn’t an overtly obvious thing. Nor was it intimidating, exactly. But that kind of sharp look that held him in place, it wasn’t one that generally came from omegas.

Bokuto scoffed, shaking his head. Eiji looked around at the adults, not seeming to understand. So instead he continued with his own agenda. “Mr. Iwa, what’s your favorite kind of juice?” 

Iwa finally broke the eye contact, turning to Eiji. He thought for a moment, “If I had to pick I’d say apple.” 

“Apple tastes good! But orange is the best!” 

Iwa gave a chuckle, nodding his head, “You know you could make it yourself. Then maybe your mom would let you drink it.” 

Eiji’s eyes widened, gasping softly while his head shot over to his mother. “Mommy! Can we?” 

Oikawa laughed, in a way that was completely different from how Iwa had seen before, and it tugged at his chest a bit, because that was the kind of look only an omega mother could have. 

“How about this weekend then?” 

“Yay!” Eiji shoved more food into his face, as if to celebrate. 

The rest of the dinner continued in similar fashion, dessert consisting of Bokuto telling some funny stories from high school while Oikawa cut up the cake Iwa had brought. At the end of it all, Iwa helped gather up the dishes, putting them in the sink for Oikawa to wash.

“Horrible habit but it works for me since I hate cleaning.” Bokuto laughed as he explained to Iwa, adding the cups to the pile of dirty dishes. 

Oikawa brushed the comment away, “The way you wash dishes is atrocious.” 

Iwa laughed at that, enjoying the exchanges that seemed to be the norm between Bokuto and Oikawa.

He was pulled from the conversation though, Eiji calling out to him. 

“Mr. Iwa, did you like the salad?” 

“Yeah it was good.” 

“I helped make it!” 

“Well no wonder it was so delicious.” 

Oikawa smiled fondly, the way mothers usually do over their children. 

It wasn’t long until Eiji tugged at his mother’s pants, though, Oikawa’s hands soaked with soap, Eiji looking up at his mom with his best puppy eye stare. “Mommy, can I watch tv?”

“It’s almost time for bed,” Tooru said, squeezing more soap onto his sponge.

“But it’d only be one show!” 

Tooru smiled, shaking his head and giving in, “Alright then, one episode and then you go get ready for bed.” 

He ran off excitedly, telling _Mr. Iwa_ to follow him, because this was _his most favorite show in the whole world._

Hajime faltered slightly, trying to keep up with the young alpha, sitting down on the couch while Eiji fiddled with the remote. When Eiji turned around though, it was to glare at Iwa. 

Not that there’d been any doubt before, but Eiji was most _definitely_ Tooru’s son. 

“Stand up! We have to do the dance!” 

“The dance…?” 

“It’s not hard,” Bokuto sat down on the armchair with a smug kind of smile on his face, “Eiji will teach you.” 

The young alpha nodded with determination, telling Iwa to just follow along. 

Oikawa watched from behind the sink as Iwa’s clumsy steps tried to keep up with Eiji’s memorized choreography. His chest clenched so much it almost hurt, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome, because the look on Eiji’s face was sort of priceless. For a moment—and _only_ a moment—he caught himself wondering what life might be like if things were always like this. Because this alpha, this Iwaizumi Hajime…

He wasn’t such a bad guy. And he’d shown up, after all, which had to count for _something,_ even if Oikawa didn’t know what that _something_ really _was._ But that’s probably what made him the most anxious of all. Because courtship was entirely out of the question. He’d been through all of that before. And an alpha like him wouldn’t be interested in the kind of static dating that was common between betas. If Iwaizumi was truly serious then the end goal of all of this would be to bond. And something like that felt so surreal that it made Oikawa want to get rid of the alpha as soon as possible. 

Tooru was done with the dishes before the show ended, but he kept himself busy, choosing to dry them and then wipe down the table. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t really want to interrupt. Even if he didn’t really plan on seeing Iwa again, there was no denying that he and his son were bonding. 

Which was probably why his chest hurt so much. 

When the show was over, Oikawa finally came into the living room, telling Eiji to properly thank everyone for dinner and to say goodnight. 

Eiji did exactly that, giving a polite thank you to Iwa and then hugging his uncle goodnight. Oikawa held out his hand, and Eiji took it, the two of them making their way up the stairs. 

Iwa cleared his throat, feeling like he should probably say something to Bokuto, but not really knowing what. Especially with the way the other alpha was staring him down. It was starting to piss him off. He didn’t have to say anything, though, because Bokuto beat him to it. 

“Nice dance moves you’ve got.” 

“Thanks.”

“You do that in college too?” 

Iwa managed to laugh at that, shaking his head. “Nah. A lot of things but…not dance.” 

“It shows.” 

“I’m sure it does.” He said, sitting on the couch, Bokuto still on the armchair. 

Bokuto stared at him again, and Iwa held his gaze. 

“Eiji is a good kid.” It was shortly stated, with purpose. 

“Yeah,” Iwa replied with a conscious nod, “He is.” 

Bokuto leaned forward, resting his forearms against his knees and loosely folding his hands together, “And Oikawa is a good man.” 

Iwa swallowed, knowing enough to push aside his pride. He yielded to the other alpha, if only for a moment, lowering his head ever so slightly to give Bokuto the proper respect, “Yeah,” he said seriously, keeping his voice level, “I know.” 

Bokuto leaned back, seemingly satisfied, “So long as you’re aware. I guess its fine for now.” 

Feet on stairs announced Oikawa’s presence, the omega joining the two alphas in the living room. He scrunched up his nose, silently noticing the scent of light tension, before Bokuto stood up, cheery as ever. “He all tucked in and cozy?” 

“Mhmm. Just like always.” 

“That’s good,” Bokuto said, before Oikawa had the chance to sit down on the couch, “I gotta get going, but I’ll drop by tomorrow.” 

“Definitely,” Oikawa said with a nod, “Thank you for dinner.” 

“No problem,”Bokuto leaned in for a hug, but rather than that, the two scented platonically, and Iwa felt his blood boil at the sight of it. He had to hold back the growl that started at the back of his throat, because that was definitely the absolute _worst_ way to go about things. 

Like it or not, he had no right to be feeling so territorial. He wasn’t even sure if this counted as an official _date._

Either way, though, Iwa waited patiently while Oikawa showed Bokuto out, since he wanted to give the omega a proper thank you for inviting him over and giving him a chance.

But when Oikawa came back into the living room, Iwa wasn’t even given the chance to speak. 

“Do you like wine?” Oikawa gave a half smile, motioning for Iwa to follow him into the kitchen.

Iwa felt his heart clench, but only for a moment. He tilted his head to the side, “I thought you only had water.” 

Oikawa let himself give a shrug that may or may not have been defined as flirtatious. “It’s after hours. Oh but you do have to leave by nine. That’s when Eiji gets up.”

“He always do that?” He asked, taking a seat by the counter while Oikawa grabbed a bottle. 

“Mm,” Oikawa said, making his way over to sit next to him, “It’s our mother-son time.” 

“That’s great.” Iwa smiled genuinely at the omega, finally feeling like he was able to get a proper look at him. 

He watched as the omega poured them each a glass of wine, feeling somewhat entranced by how long Tooru’s fingers were, and the elegant way in which he curved his wrist to stop the wine from flowing. 

“So,” Tooru began, setting the bottle down, “What do you like about me?” 

Iwa was at a bit of a loss, upon hearing the sudden question, realizing he’d maybe been staring a _bit_ too long, but he quickly recovered. “Well, like I said, you’re very—”

“Don’t tell me I’m beautiful. That’s something I know well enough on my own.” 

Iwa could feel smile spread across his lips slowly, like waves rolling out over sand. Oikawa Tooru was truly something else entirely. 

“I only know what I know.”

Oikawa narrowed his eyes at that, taking a sip of wine, “And what is it you _know,_ Iwaizumi Hajime?”

“That I really like you.”

Tooru scoffed, “All of me, I suppose, is what you’re going to say.” 

“No,” Iwa shook his head, “I don’t know all of you yet.” 

The omega’s eyes widened. “That’s a rather mature statement,” he said, swirling his glass, “From the guy who showed up breathless on a stranger’s doorstep.” 

Iwa cringed so hard he could feel it in his _soul._ “Sorry. That was pretty awkward, wasn’t it?” 

“Awkward,” Tooru sighed, bringing the glass up to his lips, “ _Creepy…_ Take your pick.” 

Iwa chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, “Well, if it got me this far, then I guess I did something right.” 

Oikawa cleared his throat, setting the glass down carefully, playing with the stem between his long fingers. He didn’t look at Iwa. “Listen. This has been fun. And I appreciate you including Eiji. But I don’t think we should see each other again.” 

Iwa leaned in slightly, “You don’t like me?” 

Oikawa looked at him, if nothing else just because he’d moved in closer, “It’s not that. You’ve never been marked. You could still start your own family. Even if you _had_ been marked…I know how territorial alphas can be. I’m not saying it’s wrong. But for _anyone_ , especially an alpha…for someone to accept a child that isn’t theirs…that’s something that takes—”

“I don’t think you know me well enough to accurately judge.” 

Tooru blinked, not expecting an answer like that. But to be honest, he wasn’t really sure _what_ kind of answer he’d been expecting. 

“You seem very kind,” he said, gathering himself, “And as I said before, dinner was really nice. But at this point in my life there’s just a lot going on.” 

Iwa looked at him dead on, and Oikawa realized it’d been a _long_ time since he’d last been caught under an alpha’s gaze. 

“If that’s your decision then I’ll respect it. But if it’s just an excuse then I’m afraid I’m gonna have to refuse.” 

Tooru felt his eyes brighten, a smile curling his lips, in a way he was surprised to find was not necessarily unpleasant. “I’m not a fan of pushy alphas.” 

It was now Iwa’s turn to smile. “I don’t think that’s really true.” 

Oikawa let his arm rest agains the counter, as he leaned into the alpha, an incredulous smile replacing his old one, the kind that tugged on his upper lip and crinkled his brow. “Get out of my house,” he said, but it was more of a challenge than anything else, his voice gave too much away. Especially when Iwa mimicked his actions, resting his arm and then leaning forward, so that their faces were now inches apart, “Go on a date with me.” 

Oikawa pulled away, pursing his lips to keep from smiling any longer. “I’ve already told you—”

“Next Saturday. Meet me at Shinjuku station—”

“That station is it’s own world—”

“There’s a movie theater right by the Isetan exit. You can’t miss it. Next Saturday at four. If I don’t see you then we can both go on with our lives.” 

Tooru looked him up and down, hesitance lining his features, “I won’t go.” 

Iwa stood up, smiling, “We’ll find out then I guess, won’t we?” He paused, going so far as to bow in front of the omega, “Thank you for a lovely dinner, Oikawa Tooru.”

Tooru hummed at that, resting his chin in his palm. “You can’t be so reserved when you’re being this pushy. That’s too much of a contradiction don’t you think?” He reached for his wine, finishing off the drink. 

Iwa straightened, “That’s just life, isn’t it? Contradictions?” 

Oikawa stood up to join him, guiding him to the door. “Mm. Sometimes.” 

“Next Saturday,” Iwa said, slipping on his shoes, “By the theater.” 

Opening the door, Tooru cocked his head pensively, “The theater in Shibuya, right?”

“Shinju—”

“Goodnight, Iwaizumi.” He smiled while he practically pushed the alpha out of the apartment. 

Tooru didn’t inhale until the door was closed, and he was able to slide down it, sinking all the way down to the floor. His heart just practically pounding out of his chest. This was bad. His heart hadn’t done that since…

He wasn't sure how long he just sat there, before his phone rang, Tooru’s entire body _jumping_ before he had enough sense to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. The name _Koutarou_ lit up the screen, and so Oikawa answered it, taking in a long inhale. 

“Hello?” 

“Everything good?”

“Yeah. Yeah, he left already.” 

“Good. So what’d you think?” 

Oikawa laughed, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” 

Bokuto chuckled on the other end, “Hey, did you tell him I was a fucking police officer?” 

Tooru crinkled his features, before nodding his head though Bokuto couldn’t see, “Not you specifically,” he smiled, “I just said I had friends in the police.” 

“Tooru who the hell do you know that’s in the police?” 

“Well I had to tell him something when he first showed up! A mother omega isn’t very intimidating all on his own!” 

Koutarou was cracking up on the other end, much to Tooru’s irritation. “Well whatever. Not like he’ll ever find out anyway.” 

“You’re not gonna see him again?” 

He let his head knock back against the door. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t think about Eiji. Think about you.” 

“How am I supposed to _not_ think about Eiji?” 

“Because even if things with this guy don’t work out, Eiji still has all of us. And he’ll be fine.” 

It was silent for a bit. Long enough for Bokuto to let out a _hello,_ because he thought the call had dropped. 

“Yeah,” Tooru breathed, “I know. I just…do you think…” 

There was a small pause, the kind that Tooru knew how to read even without seeing Bokuto’s expression. 

“You know the answer to that, Tooru.” 

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.” 

The omega exhaled. 

“For what it’s worth,” Bokuto tried, “He seems like a good guy. Give him a shot. Not just for you. For Eiji too. It’s kinda crazy how well they get along, you know?” 

“I’ll think about it.”

“You do that. I gotta go, Aki keeps fucking with the alcohol.” 

“Mm,” Oikawa nodded, saying he understood, “Have a good night.” 

“G’night.” 

Tooru let out another exhale, staring at the wall before deciding it was time to get up. Slowly stretching out his long limbs, he got up and made his way out of the entry hall. 

He had to go get the milk ready. 

It was almost 9:15, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for an update!! Thank you guys for your patience on this one ^^ School will be starting soon so updates will probs be slowing down unfortunately, but I'll try to keep up with it! Comments are always very much appreciated :D Thank you so much for your support!


	6. Chapter 6

Akaashi wouldn’t define it as _waiting_ for the alpha. It wasn’t that his mind was constantly spinning around Bokuto. He had a business to run, after all. But, on occassion, he _did_ find himself, glancing at the door, the closer it got to 7pm. 

Which was why it was completely unexpected, when the alpha walked in at around two in the afternoon, Akaashi having just finished restocking his shelves with some freshly baked croissants.

If that had been the only surprise of the day, it would have been fine. Because Akaashi’s heart just about stopped when he saw the young alpha at Bokuto’s side. 

So that’s what it was.

He should have known. He should have followed his instincts. He _knew_ there was a foreign scent on the alpha. Things like this were always too good to be true.

“Hey Akaashi,” Bokuto gave a wave and a smile, the young child clinging to his other hand. As two approached the counter, Akaashi felt his entire being fill with dread. 

Why was he always so unlucky when it came to alphas?

“Hello, Bokuto-san,” he managed with a dry mouth.

The child let go of Bokuto’s hand, putting them up against the counter instead so that he could look up at the omega. Akaashi blinked down at him, not really knowing what to do. It was a very handsome child, that there was no doubt of. Goosebumps prickled at the omega’s skin when he thought of who this child’s mother might be. 

“You’re pretty.” 

Akaashi stood bewildered, locking eyes with the little alpha. Bold, like Bokuto. It made him smile in a way that was almost painful. But this wasn’t the child’s fault. It was Akaashi’s own, for getting his hopes up when Bokuto was simply being friendly. Alphas never smelled like omega without reason. 

But even so, to have a child without forming a proper bond…it didn’t seem very much like him. Perhaps he’d simply been blind to what was staring him right in the face. 

The smile on his lips was becoming more and more sour. 

“Thank you,” he told the child, before looking up at Bokuto, “Your son is very charming.” 

“Oh, thanks! He’s actually my nephew,” Bokuto gave a wide grin, “He gets the charm from his momma.” 

_Nephew._

Had he heard correctly? 

“Oh. I see.”

That made sense. A lot more sense than Bokuto having a child outside of a bond. And that meant that the omega on Bokuto’s scent was…

Akaashi begged his heart to slow down. Why was he always jumping to conclusions? The sudden rise and fall of his emotions was currently too much for a Saturday afternoon. 

Bokuto seemed oblivious to all of this though, much to Akaashi’s relief. Instead he pushed the conversation along, putting his hand over the young alpha’s head, “Introduce yourself, kiddo.” 

The little alpha leaned forward, trying his best to be seen over the counter. “Nice to meet you! I’m Oikawa Eiji! Uncle Bokuto talks about you a lot!” 

Bokuto gave a nervous chuckle as he brought Eiji into him to keep the child from talking. “Because your desserts are so good! Which is why we’re here—we’re looking for tarts!” 

“Mommy likes those.” Eiji added, confirming the fact though his voice was somewhat muffled from being pressed so close to his uncle. 

Akaashi found himself smiling with the kind of relief that made his heart flutter all over again. It was like every last bit of him was buzzing, fingertips excited with electricity. 

_Did Bokuto really talk about him?_

“Of course,” he bowed his head, keeping his composure. “We have two different kinds. What sort of fruit does your mom like?” 

“We eat lots of strawberries! Mommy puts sugar on them sometimes!” 

Akaashi laughed at that, feeling every last bit of anxiety wash away. “Both of them have strawberries,” he motioned for them to follow, “Take a look.” 

Eiji pressed his face to the glass, as though examining the sweets were his most important assignment to date. Bokuto pried him away though, saying it was rude to do, and that the case was probably full of germs. 

His head shot up immediately upon saying so. “Not that you don’t clean the glass or anything!” Bokuto practically shouted, looking at Akaashi, “I know you keep this place clean! I just mean—“

Akaashi laughed again, saying it was fine. 

“There’s so many!” Eiji was in complete awe, making his way down the rows of sweets, taking care to analyze each and every one. 

Bokuto let him look around, preferring to stay close to Akaashi now that the young alpha was out of earshot. 

“I’m glad you stopped by, the other day.” 

A pleasant warmth started in his fingers, making its way along his entire body. The omega felt completely at ease. It’d been a long time since an alpha had had such a calming effect on him. Biting the inside of his cheeks to keep from smiling, Akaashi attempted a quaint reply.

“You have a very lovely business. I honestly felt a bit underdressed—”

“Oh no, you were fine! I just wish I could have made you a drink.” 

“It’s quite alright, I had work the next day—”

“Right, no, I understand—”

“I—”

“But—”

They said the last part in unison, stuttering over each other’s words, Bokuto’s face breaking into a goofy smile while he told Akaashi to go first. 

Akaashi struggled, trying to find the proper wording. “I just wanted to say thank you, for the soda.” 

“Yeah,” Bokutosmiled sheepishly, “Yeah no problem. There’s lots more where that came from, if you ever wanna…stop by again, or something like that.” 

Akaashi didn’t know what he was supposed to do to stop the blushing in his cheeks. But luckily Eiji was calling out to them, so he was spared having to stutter through his own words. 

“This one this one!” He was jumping up and down slightly, pointing to an eclair that was drizzled in chocolate. 

“You think Mom will like that one?” 

“Iunno,” Eiji shrugged, “But it looks yummy!” 

Bokuto chuckled, “I think we should stick with the tarts. That looks a bit too sweet for Mommy’s tastes.” 

“Can’t we get both?” 

“Your mom’s gonna yell at me.” 

“But Uncle Bokuto—”

“How about next time? You wanted to get Mommy something nice to thank him for the juice, right?” 

Eiji gave a reluctant sort of nod, before giving into his Uncle. He looked up at the baker, pointing at the tarts. “Can we have the one in the middle?” 

Akaashi opened the case from the back, reaching over with wax paper in hand, “This one?” 

Eiji shook his head, tapping on the glass, “That one. The strawberry is bigger.” 

Akaashi grabbed the one the little alpha wanted, taking care to package it up neatly. They all walked towards the register, where Akaashi rang them up, and handed the box to Eiji for safekeeping.

“Thank you for your business.” He smiled fondly at the little alpha. 

“Thank you for the tarts!” Eiji said excitedly. 

Bokuto gave a wide smile, putting his hand on Eiji’s head, but the way he did it seemed strange. Akaashi couldn’t quite place it, but there was something in his expression, or perhaps it was in the way the alpha was standing…either way, it didn’t feel right. “Thanks. I can always count on you, Akaashi.” He gave a short nod of his head, before ruffling up the young alpha’s hair. “Let’s go, Eiji.” 

Bokuto began to turn, but Eiji held his ground, tugging at his uncle’s pants. 

“You have to say it!” He whisper shouted. 

Bokuto gave a nervous laugh, shaking his head, “Maybe later—”

“But you said you’d do it today! You have to tell Akaashi-san!”

Akaashi’s eyes widened, glancing at the alpha. _Tell him what, exactly?_

“He’s busy, little man. Come on, we’ve got to go—” 

“But you practiced!”

Akaashi watched with curiosity, the little alpha stomping his foot in protest, Bokuto crouching down to the ground with both a shocked and irritated look on his face. A few of the customers were looking, now, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by the alpha.

“That was supposed to be top secret!” He whisper-shouted, chastising his nephew, “You’re breaking the code!”

Eiji puffed up his cheeks, glaring at his Uncle and crossing his arms angrily. Akaashi couldn’t help but think that it was almost cute.

Bokuto sighed, standing back up, before clearing his throat. He turned to Akaashi, smiling stupidly, rubbing the back of his neck in a way that could only be described as _nervous_. He cleared his throat again, lowering his hands to his sides, curling them up into fists. 

“Sorry,” Bokuto began anxiously, “He um, he kind of takes after his mother.” 

Akaashi shook his head, concern beginning to bubble in his chest. “It’s no trouble.” 

Clearing his throat again, Bokuto nodded, the feel of the room shifting slightly, and Akaashi felt his heart start to beat with new nervousness that mirrored the alpha’s own. 

“Um, well, you see, we’ve been talking for a while now,” Bokuto said, “And I really like when we’re able to see each other, even if it’s not for very long. I know you don’t work on Sundays, so I was hoping, I mean I’d like to invite—“ He noticeably swallowed, fists shaking at his sides, when the alpha suddenly bowed, a soft gasp coming from the customers in the shop. 

“I would like to ask you on a date with the intention of courtship!”

The entire shop fell silent, all eyes on Akaashi and the alpha bowing in front of him. 

_Had this truly just happened, or was this all in his head?_

Akaashi licked his lips, because his mouth had gone dry, and his hands had begun to sweat, so he wiped them on his apron. “I—”

_“Say yes!”_ Eiji whispered from the other side of the counter, standing on his tippy toes to assure he’d be seen, looking at Akaashi with sharp, determined eyes. 

For a moment Akaashi couldn’t help but think that this boy would grow into one hell of an alpha one day. 

“Yes,” Akaashi said quickly, face passing the point of a blush, “Yes, please, if you’ll stop bowing,” he licked his lips again, “Everyone’s looking.” 

“Right,” Bokuto straightened, “Sorry,” he cleared his throat for the _third_ time, patting his hands against his pants, “Great. I’m happy. Sunday?” It was robotic, that much was obvious, and Akaashi wished the alpha would relax, because all it was doing was setting his own nerves on edge. 

“I’m busy tomorrow,” he explained, “But next Sunday is more than fine.” 

_Did adding the ‘more than’ sound too desperate?_

“Awesome,” Bokuto turned to the shop, waving at the other costumers in apology, “Sorry for all of the commotion.” 

No one seemed to mind, though, all of their attention still pressed on the alpha and the shop’s owner.With another exhale, Bokuto nodded to Akaashi again, “So, I’ll see you.” 

“Definitely,” Akaashi bowed his head slightly. 

He gave a sheepish smile, before nudging Eiji on the shoulder, “Come on, let’s go.” 

Eiji still didn’t move though, glaring at his uncle just as before. 

“Eiji, come on, seriously—”

“You have to kiss him! He said yes!” 

There was a hushed giggle from a table in the back, but no one seemed to notice.

Bokuto’s eyes widened, before sharpening in a way Akaashi had never seen from the happy-go-lucky alpha. “That’s it. Where’d you learn to talk like that, huh? We’re going home. Don’t think I’m not telling your mom about this—”

The panic was evident in the young alpha’s eyes, tears threatening to form, “But Uncle Bokuto—”

The alpha bent down again, holding onto the child’s shoulders, “It’s not like the movies, Eiji. You can’t say things like that.” 

Eiji sniffled, feeling more confused than anything else. “But you said he was your princess.” 

Any less self control and Akaashi would have let his mouth drop. _Princess?_

The alpha flushed a deep red, head snapping immediately to Akaashi, “I didn’t really—I didn’t say anything like that—” he turned to Eiji again, “Eiji you—”

“In that case,” Akaashi interjected, clearing his own throat, “How about a heartfelt handshake?” He didn’t really know what he was doing, but he was starting to get dizzy from the way everyone was staring. “Would that be enough to satisfy the little alpha?”

Bokuto looked up in confusion, making a questioning sort of sound.

Looking from Akaashi to his uncle, Eiji nodded his head furiously in agreement. 

The omega licked his lips again, more anxious than he would’ve liked to admit, hesitantly holding his hand out. 

Bokuto took it immediately, with such sudden force that Akaashi felt as though he’d had the air knocked out of his lungs. It was just like that moment at the bar. Everything about his presence, from the way he gripped Akaashi’s hand, to the way he was standing, to that bold expression on his face…it was simply alpha. And Akaashi could feel that warmth again, starting in his toes and slowly spreading to the rest of him, melting away any previous anxiety. 

Bokuto made him calm. 

“Is it ok if I keep dropping by before Sunday?” He gave half a chuckle, in which Akaashi joined him.

“Of course.” 

Bokuto squeezed his hand before letting go, but Akaashi felt as though the alpha had squeezed his heart instead. “I’ll see you.” 

“Come on Eiji,” he patted the young alpha on the back, Eiji scurrying next to his uncle, trying to whisper things that weren’t necessarily secret. 

Akaashi watched them leave, suddenly hyper aware of how everyone in the shop was still staring at him. He cleared his throat, apologizing for the scene and thanking them all for being understanding. With that, he turned to rearrange some displays that didn’t really need to be rearranged at all.

Bokuto had _bowed._ Who formally requested courtship in this day and age? 

It made his chest tighten. Finally, for once in his life he was being approached by a proper alpha. One that wanted more than just a night of fun. _So_ much more than that because Bokuto wanted to _court_ him. The last time someone had asked Akaashi that had been in high school, when courting was seen as the “adult” way to date someone. 

Except now, Akaashi was a legitimate adult. 

His nerves buzzed, his stomach fluttering up into his chest with excited anxiousness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a date that didn’t end in complete disaster. But it was going to be different this time, he was confident in that. Because Bokuto was different from other alphas Akaashi had met. Was different from _anyone_ Akaashi had ever met. So he wasgoing to make damn sure that he did his best. 

Which meant no alcohol, until he knew Bokuto a bit better. Because the omega’s weak tolerance was something other alphas hadn’t hesitated to take advantage of. 

But Bokuto was different. And Akaashi was different from how he’d been back then. He’d long since passed his experimenting phase. He understood his limits now. Was an _adult,_ after all. He knew what he wanted.

And what he wanted, more than anything else, was this boisterous alpha known as Bokuto Koutarou. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh ho ho~~ Lucky lucky owls. I love them so much. And I love Eiji lol. He's nosy just like Tooru XD Comments are always greatly appreciated! Thank you guys for being so supportive on this! <3


	7. Chapter 7

Oikawa sat down on the couch tiredly, having finally finished the dishes. He looked over at Bokuto with a curl of his lip, before letting his head fall back against the cushions. 

“Someone looks happy.” 

Bokuto said nothing, instead continued to fiddle with his phone, and Oikawa tried once more to poke fun at the alpha. But once again, he was ignored. So, naturally, he threw a pillow at him. 

It was enough to knock the phone out of Bokuto’s hand and into his lap, startling the alpha. He turned his attention to Tooru, “Wha—”

“Let me guess. You got his number.” 

Bokuto grinned stupidly, before looking down at his phone again. “Mm.” 

Tooru sighed, giving a warm smile, “I’m happy for you.” 

“I’m trying to figure out where to take him. Somewhere nice, you know? But not like too fancy, I don’t want to feel out of place or anything like that. Maybe the aquarium? But isn’t that sort of overdone?” 

“I’m sure you guys will enjoy yourselves no matter where you take him.” 

“I know but,” Bokuto grinned, rubbing his face with his hands, “Fuck I’m so nervous.” 

Oikawa hummed, “I always wondered why alphas were considered superior, when all it takes is a scrawny omega to have them all fall to their knees.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Bokuto threw the pillow back, “Tell that to Mr. Arms-I’d-Like-To-Lick.”

Oikawa nearly screeched, but held himself back, since his son was sleeping upstairs, and managed to throw two pillows at the alpha. 

“I already told you it’s not happening!” 

“The arm licking or the date—”

“Neither!” Oikawa was trying to stay mad, to yell at his friend seriously, but it wasn’t very convincing between his stuttered giggles. “And I _don’t_ want to lick his arms.” 

Bokuto glanced at him, before waggling his eyebrows, “What _do_ you wanna lick then Tooru?” 

“Shut up! Jesus why am I still your friend you’re the complete _worst—”_

“Ok ok seriously though. You’re going on Saturday.” 

“No I’m not.”

“Tooru—”

“Koutarou.” 

The alpha glared at him. “Tooru. Dude. You have a date on Saturday, and I have one on Sunday. Literally our lives could not get any better. We could potentially double date. We’ve been planning that shit since college.” 

Oikawa made a face, “I’m not going to date this guy just because _you_ want a double date.” 

“Ok but,” Bokuto reasoned, “How awesome would that be.” 

Pursing his lips, Tooru shook his head while giving the alpha an eyeroll. Bokuto went back to his phone, while Tooru worried his lip. 

“…say…I do go…”

“I knew it—”

“Hypothetically—”

“ _Realistically—”_

“Kou, if what happened with Kaito happens again I—”

“Last I checked,” Bokuto said, putting the phone down, and staring at the omega head on, “This guy isn’t Kaito.” 

Tooru sucked in his teeth, tapping his foot, “I know. But I mean I never thought—”

“No one could have thought. But it’s over. Been there done that. You’re smarter now, yeah? Ask this guy all the right questions,” he tapped on his nose, “Scent doesn’t lie.” 

“But—”

“Oikawa. The difference is you already have a kid. I’m pretty sure this guy knows what he’s getting into. If it freaked him out that much he’d be long gone by now.” 

After a small pause, and upon seeing the look on his friend’s face, Bokuto continued, “Look, it doesn't even have to be that serious. Think of it as mommy’s day off. Let the guy buy you dinner, enjoy a movie, whatever. And if that's not enough then end it right then and there.” 

Tooru looked at him, giving a small sort of smile. “Thank you, Kou.”

“But if I were you,” Bokuto leaned into the couch, reaching for his phone again, “I’d try and get a good fucking out of it.”

It was enough to earn him another pillow to the face.

* * *

 

Oikawa Tooru hated Shinjuku station. It was crowded, humid, and had about a million different exits. Having lived in Tokyo for some time now however, he managed to find the correct one, walking through the aisles of sweets and bento boxes before finally entering the men’s section of the Isetan. It took him right through a tie display he'd helped arrange. Unable to help himself, he praised himself in his head about how nice it looked. The air conditioning was a nice change to the humid underground, but he knew the moment he chose to open the doors he'd be hit with the kind of humidity that felt like it was choking you. 

Maybe he could use that as an excuse to not show up. 

With trembling hands, and taking a large gulp of air for courage, Tooru pushed on the glass doors, feeling the wind blast him with a whirl of heat. 

It was dizzying.

The sun wasn't quite setting, but there was a certain kind of light to the city that seemed to envelop a summer afternoon. 

And standing there, with his back pressed to the wall, watching the people pass by, was Iwaizumi Hajime. 

He looked…different. In a way that was very surreal, since at that moment he really could have been anyone. A complete stranger Oikawa happened to pass by, and never see again. 

He could stay that way, if Oikawa decided to turn around. 

The alpha had his hands in his pockets, leaning against the cold stone, tapping his foot to some sort of rhythm that probably only existed in his head, since Tooru didn’t see him wearing any headphones. 

Tooru sucked in his lips, before letting out a large exhale, and finally heading up towards the alpha. 

It’d been a long time. A _really_ long time, since Oikawa had seen that sort of expression on anyone. The kind that screamed _you’re beautiful,_ as if the alpha had had his breath taken away, stopping just a moment too long to look at the omega. And it was enough to make Oikawa feel the heat rise in his cheeks. 

Perhaps he could blame it on the humidity. 

Instead, he left it up to a sarcastic remark. “So let me guess,” he said, pointing at the posters that lined the walls, “We’re gonna watch a movie?” 

Iwa faltered slightly, his gaze following Tooru’s finger, “Uh, we can if you want. But actually I was thinking we could do karaoke?” 

Oikawa blinked, wondering if he’d heard that correctly. “Are you asking me or telling me?” 

The alpha grinned, giving him a shrug, “Up to you.” 

Unable to help the eyeroll that escaped him, Oikawa gave a quick chuckle, “Where’s that commanding presence you alphas are supposed to have?” 

“Do you want to or not?” 

It was now Tooru’s turn to give a sly smile. “Sure,” he said carelessly, “So long as you’re not tone deaf.”

* * *

 

Iwaizumi Hajime was hopelessly tone deaf. Oikawa had never laughed so much in his life. 

“You’re so off key! Give me the mic—”

“No way! This is my song you cheat—”

“Iwaizumi. You are _murdering_ this song and _not_ in the good way—” He tried to reach for the microphone, but the alpha held it out of his reach, putting a hand over his own chest. 

“Hey. I’m freaking awesome at karaoke.” 

“Whoever told you that,” Oikawa struggled, trying for the mike again, slightly frustrated since he was supposed to be taller anyway, “Is a liar. And not your friend.” 

“And you are?” Iwa looked at him, eyes shining, and Tooru pulled his hand back, clearing his throat softly. “Just finish your song,” he said, sitting back down, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. Iwa tossed the microphone around in his hands, before bringing it up to his lips, trying to follow along to the remaining lyrics. 

“My friends call me Iwa,” he said during a pause, “That’d be a good start.” 

Tooru hummed at that. “Then how about I call you Iwa-chan?” 

The alpha made a face, the song continuing, but Iwa no longer paying attention. “I’m not a kid.”

“Mmmm no. But you’re short like one~” 

The alpha’s stare locked him, in a way that wiped the smile clear off the omega’s face. His heart pounded rapidly against his chest, instinct tugging at him to submit. He’d almost forgotten what that felt like. The little shivers it sent down his spine, the idiotic little burst of adrenaline that promised reward if he _did_ submit, because that was what he was meant to do. Maybe he’d hit a nerve. 

“It’s only two inches,” the alpha said, “I make up for it in other ways.” 

Tooru took a deep inhale, feeling his face start to brighten with pink. That _definitely_ passed the level of appropriate conversation—

The microphone was right between his eyes, suddenly, Iwa holding it out to him, “Like in my amazing singing skills.” 

Oikawa blinked, shaking his head before letting out a laugh, “Somehow that’s not very impressive!”

Iwa laughed in response, sitting down next to him, since the song was long past over.“Wanna go one more round?” 

“Mmm,” Tooru uncrossed his legs, “I’m getting kind of hungry.” 

“Same here. I know an amazing ramen place that’s not too far.” 

Tooru made a face, “I’ve heard that before.” 

“No, seriously. Best ramen of your life.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Oikawa threatened, standing up and putting the microphones away. 

“Trust me,” the alpha said confidently, “You’ll love it.” 

It was about a ten minute walk to the shop, where Tooru noticed a line had already formed in front of a large sign that read “Tatsunoya.” Lines were always a relatively good indicator on the quality of food, so he figured he’d give the alpha the benefit of the doubt for now. 

“Hopefully we don’t have to wait too long.” 

“If not there was a KFC down the street.” The omega joked. 

The alpha made a face, before shoving his hands in his pockets. “Definitely not.” 

The wait was only about 15 minutes or so, Iwa grabbing two bowls of the original ramen and a coke for each of them, sitting down in one of the far corners of the small restaurant. 

Oikawa piled beansprouts onto his, while Iwa added ginger. Both offered some to each other, but both kindly rejected. 

“Don’t like ginger?” Iwa asked.

“It overpowers the broth. Bean sprouts…?”

“Weird crunch.”

Oikawa smiled, “I see.” He mixed his ramen around, before looking up at the alpha. “So how often do you coach at the park?” 

“I’m there most days,” Iwa said, pouring some coke in his glass, “Just not on weekends. It’s pretty informal. Anyone who wants to join or learn is welcome. One of my coworkers—his son needed help with baseball and some other kids wanted to play when they saw us practicing. The rest is history, as they say.” 

“That’s really sweet of you to help out,” Oikawa smiled.

Iwa shrugged, “It’s fun. A nice break from the office.” 

“I bet. It’s such a nice park too, especially after all of the replanting they did. I try to take Eiji sometimes on Sundays. But in this heat it’s unbearable.” 

The alpha nodded, “Yeah gotta be careful with the little ones. They don’t know when to stop.” 

“Especially Eiji. And he hates sunscreen. How am I supposed to let him out if he doesn’t wear any? He’s so pale.” 

“Maybe the spray on kind? Kids tend to like those.”

Oikawa shook his head, “He says that one is too _sticky._ Honestly I see so much of myself in him and it’s just,” he scoffed incredulously, “Well not all traits are the best, are they?” 

Iwa smiled, “He’s just a kid being picky. He’s only four right?” 

“He will be at the end of next month,” Oikawa smiled brightly, the way only mothers can, “I know that’s still really young but it just goes by so fast.” 

“Maybe get him some Lightening McQueen sunscreen for his birthday then.” 

Oikawa laughed out loud at that, putting his hand over his mouth so that he didn’t come off as rude. “Oh my god,” he adjusted the napkin on his lap, “Would you believe me if I said I’ve already tried looking for some? It just doesn’t exist.” 

“Well damn there goes that idea,” Iwa joined in with his own chuckle, “I’m sure he’ll grow out of it. He’s a smart enough kid.” 

“Gosh I hope so,” the omega said, bringing his coke glass to his lips. “So,” he cleared his throat, “I know you don’t have any kids of your own…brothers or sisters maybe?” 

Iwa shook his head, holding his finger up to show he was still chewing, “Only child.” 

“So you’re used to having your own way.”

“That’s one way to put it.” 

“I have an older sister,” Tooru said, “But she eloped at eighteen.” 

The alpha tensed, not knowing in the slightest how to properly reply. “Oh. Wow.” 

“Oh, no,” Oikawa shook his hands, laughing, “It wasn’t overly dramatic or anything like that! She’s always been sort of carefree. So she ran off with her husband to travel. She still visits. And sends us candy from wherever it is she’s staying. Last I think it was taffy from San Francisco.” 

“Oh,” Iwa eased up a bit, his posture relaxing, “That’s great you’re still in contact with her.”

“Mm,” Tooru smiled, “Eiji loves opening up her care packages.”

The alpha smiled back, “I bet. A box you know has candy in it? No one can resist that.” 

Oikawa smiled shyly, lowering his head a bit, “Sorry if I talk about him so much.” 

“He’s your kid,” Iwa said immediately, with a warm smile that felt almost encouraging, “It’s more than ok. I like hearing about it.” 

The omega bit his lip, to keep from smiling, “You’re strange.” 

“How so?” 

“Well for one the whole pudding incident, but we’ve been over that already. You also don’t care that I have a kid. And you haven’t asked me about my mark.” 

Iwa pressed his hands together in prayer, “I humbly and most deeply apologize for the pudding incident,” he managed with a chuckle, before bringing his hands down and looking at the omega, making sure they locked eyes, “But Eiji, he’s a great kid. I hope we can get to know each other more. The three of us, I mean.”

Oikawa nodded to show he understood.

“And,” the alpha continued, “As for your bond mark…the only thing I really need to know about it, I already know.” 

Eyes widening, Tooru cocked his head to the side, “And what would that be?” 

The alpha lowered his gaze, picking at his bowl and taking a piece of egg between his chopsticks. It didn’t escape Oikawa how his eyes sharpened, darkening to nearly black before he spoke.

“It’s not mine.” 

Tooru felt shivers run down his spine he never approved of. He cleared his throat to straighten himself, begging his heart to stop pounding so much, because with his blood rushing so fast he was pretty sure it’d unsettle his stomach. 

Dinner continued with less intense topics, Oikawa finding himself laughing at almost every other thing the alpha said. 

He didn’t really want to. In fact, he wished he could stop, because it was almost embarrassing, how much he couldn’t seem to hold back. He felt… _giddy,_ almost, especially stepping out into the warm breeze that was a Tokyo evening, walking with the alpha side by side. 

“Have you ever done VR?” 

Oikawa glanced at him, before shaking his head, “Not really.” 

“It’s pretty fun,” Iwa said, “There’s a place around here we could try.” 

“Are your gaming skills better than your singing?” 

“Is that a challenge, Oikawa Tooru?”

“Maybe it is,” Oikawa put his hands on his hips, shaking his head obnoxiously, “Iwa-chan Hajime.” 

The alpha’s mouth opened in shock to let out laughter, “Iwa-chan Hajime.”

The omega held his head up proudly, “It’s…yes.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense!” 

Oikawa laughed, “Well at least I don’t suck at singing or video games!” 

“Oh,” Iwa grabbed him by his hand, leading the way through the crowded streets, “We’ll see about that.”

* * *

 

Oikawa Tooru was absolutely horrible at virtual reality games. He didn’t even know what was really happening, but he _did_ mange to consecutivelyand continuously shoot at the ground, if that counted for anything.

It didn’t. 

He couldn’t even say anything about the alpha laughing at him, because Tooru had done just the same at the karaoke bar. 

“Oikawa, we’re losing so bad—”

“Like I need _you_ to tell me that—”

“Go up!”

“I am!”

“That’s not up!!”

In the end he accidentally sabotaged their mission by shooting the alpha in the thigh, and the other team overtook their territory. He’d never failed so miserably at anything in his whole life. Iwa kept poking at him for it, even after they’d left the arcade, and Oikawa didn’t even mind that he was giggling around so many strangers, heading back out onto the open street. 

He laughed behind his hand, shaking it at the alpha and then putting it back over his mouth, “Oh my god I’m so sorry that was so bad—I take full responsibility—”

“We lost thirty-seven men because of you. Thirty-seven.” 

“I’m sure…” Oikawa opened his mouth, still partially laughing, trying to find an excuse, “They will be honored? Even in death?” 

“What’re you gonna tell their families?”

“What am _I—_ why do _I_ have to do it??”

“You said you’d take responsibility!” 

Oikawa kept on laughing, practically holding on to his stomach. “Oh my god!” He shook his head, trying his hardest to stop, “This is insane. I haven’t had this much fun since—” his speech halted suddenly, his smile cracking to match. Unconsciously he raised his hand to his bond mark, covering it up. He smiled at the alpha, “Thank you,” he said softly, “I’ve been enjoying myself. Which apparently I don’t do all that often.” 

Iwa smiled back tenderly, “No problem.” 

The omega licked his lips, finally dropping his hand and feeling his face heat up, because he hadn’t quite realized he’d covered his glands to begin with. He hoped he hadn’t killed the mood.

“Do you mind if we stop by Godzilla?” 

“Huh?” Oikawa looked back up, the alpha still smiling. 

“We could take a picture,” he offered. 

“Sure,” the omega nodded, “It’s nearby isn’t it?” 

“Mhm, right by the Don Quijote.” 

They only took one wrong turn, before arriving at Godzilla Road. 

“There’s always so many people here,” Oikawa said, pulling out his phone to take a picture.

“Yeah, well, tourists and shit,” Iwa’s eyes widened, catching himself, “Stuff. Tourists and stuff.” 

Tooru shook his head, smiling, “It’s fine. Eiji’s not here.” 

“So cussing and wine are fine so long as the Cars lover isn’t around, huh?”

“I have to have _some_ loopholes don’t I?” 

Iwa chuckled, holding up his phone, “Fair enough,” he adjusted the angle, “Now smile.” 

They took their selfie, Oikawa peering over the alpha to see how it’d turned out. He could hardly take notice, though, when he realized what time it was. 

“Something wrong?”

“I’m sorry—I have to get home. Bokuto’s taking care of Eiji and he still has to get to work—”

“No worries. I understand.” 

Oikawa smiled, “Thanks.”

“Can I walk you to the station?” 

The omega nodded, head slightly downcast, “If you want.” 

He did a lot more than that, though, entering the station and getting on the train with Oikawa, since they were headed in the same direction. Somewhere in between they even exchanged contacts, Oikawa figuring the real damage had already been done anyway, since he wasn’t nearly as reserved as he’d originally planned to be before arriving. And the alpha seemed content enough about it, so Tooru didn’t really give it much thought. 

When they arrived at his stop he thought he’d say his goodbyes, but Iwa followed him out, going so far as to walk him all the way home, engaging in polite conversation and making the omega giggle just a few times more. 

“You really didn’t have to walk me all the way to the door.” 

“I wanted to.” 

“Thank you again,” Oikawa said, holding onto his own wrist, “For today.” 

“I think that’s my line. I had a lot of fun.” 

“Me too,” the omega agreed, lips curling up into another smile. 

“Maybe…we could do it again? If you want to bring Eiji, I’m completely ok with that.” 

“Maybe,” Tooru said with a nod, “Things are going to be busy at work for a bit.”

“I understand.” 

Oikawa inhaled, feeling slightly awkward. When was the last time he’d gone through something like this? “Well,” he managed, reaching out for the door, “Have a good night.” 

“Oikawa.” 

Immediately his hand jerked back, as if reaching out for the door had been the wrong thing to do. Tooru swallowed, thinking his omega instincts had popped up a bit _too_ much in this outing. 

Iwa leaned in, pecking his lips against Tooru’s, in a way so chaste the omega hardly even registered it as a real kiss. 

“I’ll call you.” 

There was nothing about the way he stood, or the way he spoke, or the tone of his voice that gave Oikawa any inkling of a doubt. And that in itself was perhaps more alluring than it should have been. But Oikawa couldn’t determine if he thought that because it was a sign of a strong alpha, or because it was just Iwaizumi in general. 

He didn’t want to know.

By the time he came to his thoughts, though, the alpha was gone, and so he cleared his throat and grabbed his keys again, opening his front door. 

It was a slight surprise when Eiji ran up to him, feet pounding against the floor, but he should have expected it. Tooru crouched down so that he could catch his son in his arms. 

“Shouldn’t you be in bed by n—”

Eiji smooshed his mother’s cheek’s together, examining them closely. 

“Whatreyoudoing—”

“I’m checking your lips!” 

“Eiji—“

“Uncle Bokuto said—”

In a moment he was pried off, Koutarou resting the little alpha on his hip, “Hey now. That’s twice you rat me out.” He looked at Tooru, welcoming him back home. “Sorry he’s not in bed. He wouldn’t sleep.” 

“I wanted to have milk with Mommy!” 

“Eiji,” Tooru chastised, taking him from Bokuto, “You’re a growing boy. You need to sleep properly don’t you?”

“But Mommy—”

“No buts. Just this once, ok?” 

Eiji nodded, and Oikawa took the opportunity to nuzzle his son, and coat him with his scent. 

“I’m gonna head out then,” Bokuto said, reaching for his jacket, “Everything good, though?” 

“Yeah, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. You’re good on time right?”

“We’re fine,” Bokuto grinned, “Seeing as you weren’t home at 4:30 like you said you’d be I guess it went really well.” He waggled his eyebrows, and Oikawa pursed his lips, putting Eiji down on the ground. 

Once he’d shown Bokuto out, and Oikawa had changed into ever more comfortable pjs, he started on the milk, Eiji clinging to his leg while Oikawa recounted his date to his son.

“Can we eat ramen there one day too, Mommy?” 

“Absolutely,” he said, handing him the sippy cup, so that they could head on over to the couch.Eiji settled in comfortably, leaning against his mother’s chest, happily drinking his milk. 

“Does Mr. Iwa want kids?” 

Tooru stiffened, taking a sip of his coffee so that he could think of how to properly reply. He knew this question would come sooner or later. 

“I haven’t asked him yet sweetheart.” Tooru let his hand rest on the back of his son’s neck, playing with the little curls that rested there, “But he likes _you_ ,” he nuzzled him with his nose. 

Eiji giggled at that, shaking his leg happily. “Because you said when Mommy finds an alpha that is ready to be a Dad then we can be a family.” 

Oikawa didn’t know what it was that stopped him from crying. But he managed to hold it together. “I did say that, didn’t I?” He held his son close, “But it takes a lot more than that, right? We have to love Iwa first, and he has to love us.” 

Eiji looked up at his mom, “Do you love Mr. Iwa, Mommy?” 

“I don’t know yet,” he smiled, “But maybe I could. If Eiji-chan likes him too.” He nuzzled his son, and Eiji giggled again. 

“And then, if Iwa loves us back, then we can be a family?” 

Tooru licked his lips. “Maybe,” he brushed his son’s hair back, “But love takes a long time, Eiji. So we have to be patient. Do you think you can be patient?” 

Eiji nodded enthusiastically, shaking his leg again and drinking more milk. “Can Mr. Iwa come to dinner again Mommy?” 

“I don’t see why not.” 

The little alpha gave an excited cheer, upon which Oikawa sucked in his teeth, trying to hold his smile. 

As wonderful as today had been there was no way of knowing what would happen from here. And Eiji already had laid out what he was expecting to happen. Perhaps he should have gone about it differently. 

_“Mommy’s mate wasn’t ready to be a Papa. So I got to keep Eiji all to myself. And then, one day, if we find an alpha who’s ready to be a Papa, he can join our family.”_

He didn’t want to lie to his son. That only led to confusion and identity issues later on. So when his son had asked, Oikawa just told him. Kaito didn’t want to be a father. And there was no shame in Eiji not having one. He’d added the last part to soften the blow, really as an afterthought. Oikawa had never planned on dating, or courting, or finding another alpha again. 

But that was just it, wasn’t it? He’d never planned to come across someone like Iwaizumi Hajime. 

It had just happened. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GUYS. I'M SO HAPPY. Ahhhh. School has started and I'm dying but I managed to finish this. Also when I went to Tokyo I stayed in Shinjuku so I kinda just wanted to include some things I saw ^o^ Comments are always greatly appreciated <3


	8. Chapter 8

Akaashi walked away laughing, pushing the doors that led them back out onto the street. 

Bokuto was laughing too, shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know if hedgehogs just like pooping, or if they just like pooping on _me.”_

Akaashi shook his head, still letting out a few stray laughs, and finally meeting Bokuto’s gaze, “They must have felt really comfortable around you, like the guide said.” 

“Yeah well I’m glad my insanely high body temperature is good for _something_.” 

The omega’s eyes crinkled at the edges, biting the edge of his lip to keep from smiling any longer. “Well it was quite the experience regardless.” 

“I liked the chinchillas! I’ve never felt anything that soft!” 

It was enough to make Akaashi burst out laughing again, throwing his hand over his mouth in an attempt to remain polite, “You entire finger disappeared into its fur—”

“I know! I wish I could’ve taken a picture—”

Akaashi held up his hand, taking out his phone and swiping through the numerous pictures he’d taken at the critter cafe. 

Bokuto gasped, admiring the photo. “When’d you take this!” 

“You were so enthralled—I hope you don’t mind—”

“Not at all! This is awesome! Can you send them to me?” 

“Of course, Bokuto-san.” 

The alpha smiled, “Still holding on to the honorifics?” 

Akaashi inhaled, “It’s just habit.” 

“Well maybe I can convince you to start a new habit.” 

“Maybe,” the omega smiled. 

The continued walking down the closed off streets of Ikebukuro, arcades and claw machines seeming to line every corner. Akaashi caught himself staring at the one with a giant shiba plush, advertising six tries for the price of five. 

“Those are amazing,” he said, striking up a conversation and pointing to the arcade, “They manage to keep people for hours and no one ever wins anything.” 

Bokuto cocked his head, giving him a questioning look. “The claw one?” 

Akaashi nodded.

The alpha hummed. “Well, the keyhole ones are harder I think. But there’s a trick to the claw one. You can do it in two tries.” 

Eyes widening, Akaashi grabbed Bokuto by the arm, dragging him towards the machine, and feeling grateful to the blast of air that the enclosed space provided. 

“Prove it,” he said, motioning to the plush, “I’ve never seen anyone walk away with one of these before.” 

“Two tries,” Bokuto grinned, holding up his fingers, “If I mess up, then three at the most.” 

Akaashi watched intently, as the alpha pulled out 200 yen and put them into the slot confidently. The first time he hooked the round plush it was by the little bandana that served as a collar. It was enough to lift it up, and Akaashi thought that maybe the alpha would manage it in a single try. The hook released, however, dropping the plush just next to the deposit bin. The game reset and began again, Bokuto aiming further up now, grabbing the plush by the head, and when it fell, Akaashi thought the alpha had won. But it fell again, resting against the wall of the drop bin. 

Bokuto clicked his tongue, digging into his pocket for another 100 yen coin. “Dang it. One more,” he looked at Akaashi as if it were a promise, before turning his focus back on the plush. This time he aimed for the butt, lifting it up just enough so that when the claw released, it tipped the prize right into the collection bin. 

Akaashi stood dumbfounded, staring at the alpha with a non-blinking stare. Bokuto merely smiled through it proudly, collecting his prize and then holding it out for Akaashi. 

“Um,” he gave a nervous smile, and Akaashi wasn’t sure if the flush in his cheeks came from the heat or embarrassment, “For you. If you want it.” 

Akaashi took it gladly, squeezing it to his chest and commenting on how soft it was. “I don’t believe it.” 

Bokuto chuckled, “Yeah, it’s not so bad once you figure out how to work it. There’s a rhythm to it. Like a timed attack!” 

Akaashi giggled, before putting the plush in the bag the employee offered, congratulating them on their win. 

“How did you learn to do that?” Akaashi asked, once the shiba was safely tucked away.

The alpha gave a lopsided kind of smile, following Akaashi as they scouted the rest of the small arcade. 

“Throughout all of elementary, my mom gave me enough coins for two bottles of juice. One for the morning commute and one for the way home. I just…never used them on juice.” 

Akaashi could feel his lips breaking into another smile, his eyes crinkling up around the edges. “You were determined I see.”

“Yeah that was pretty rough. I get frustrated easily.” 

“You don’t seem like you would.” 

“Oh, you’d be surprised.” Bokuto cleared his throat, shoving his hands into his pockets again, “Are you hungry? I know we already ate but—”

“How about some ice cream? It’ll be a nice break from all of this humidity.” 

“Ice cream sounds great Akaashi!” 

They walked into one of the first shops they came across, since all of them were equally good, Bokuto getting pistachio and Akaashi sticking with vanilla. 

“I thought you’d get some weird combination.” Bokuto said, once they’d found some seats.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, since you must have a refined palate or whatever. Knowledge of flavor profiles? Whatever the correct term is,” he gave a chuckle. 

“Sometimes simple is best,” Akaashi replied easily, “Vanilla is always more than satisfying.” 

“I feel you. I’ve never tried pistachio before. It’s not too bad!” 

Light conversation continued, a few jokes sprinkled in between, Akaashi letting his spoon rest on his tongue before answering Bokuto’s questions, allowing himself more time to think. Finally, he got enough courage to ask about the alpha’s business. 

“How does one accidentally take ownership of a bar? In Roppongi no less.” 

Bokuto stuck his spoon into his ice cream, giving a scoff, “Now that’s an interesting story.” 

“Do tell,” Akaashi said calmly, taking another spoonful of ice cream. 

“Ok so you know how you’re not really supposed to work as a high school student? But, well, I needed new kneepads for volleyball, and my mom wasn’t having it.” 

“Perhaps if you’d saved those coins instead of using them for claw machines you’d have had enough.” 

The alpha laughed, “Ok, fair enough,” he paused, reaching for more ice cream, “But so there was this old Oji-san in my neighborhood, everyone knew him. Nice to all the kids and stuff. I stole his tomatoes when I was younger.”

“What?” Akaashi felt his eyes widen.

“Anyway,” Bokuto ignored the subject entirely, “I knew if I begged him he’d at least let me take out the trash for his bar or something like that. And he did. Did a lot more than that, actually. I started at the bottom of course. But I ended up going to college nearby, so there was no real reason to quit. And as soon as it was legal he started teaching me all about drinks and the business and things like that. Most days we walked home together, since we lived so close.”

Bokuto gave a fond smile, fingers tugging at a napkin. He paused, looking up at the omega, before clearing his throat. “He passed away a few years ago.”

Akaashi’s expression sobered. “I’m so sorry—”

He shook his head, “It’s fine. That guy always lived life to the fullest. I think it was the cigarettes that finally caught up to him. He never had any kids or anything, so he left half to me, and half to the guy he’d started it with. Really respectable guy. Didn’t have any interest in it anymore though, since his wife was pregnant and all. So I told him I’d take care of the bar if he’d let me buy him out. Finally got to at the beginning of last year.” 

“That’s an incredible story, Bokuto-san.” 

“Yeah no kidding. You can’t dream about being this lucky,” he chuckled, finishing his last bite of ice cream, “So I’m trying to do my best for the shop. Take it even further than Oji-san did. I think he’d like that.” 

“I’m sure he’s very proud.” 

The alpha flashed a smile, “Thanks.” 

There was a small smudge of pistachio-colored ice cream on the corner of Bokuto’s lip as he said so, and Akaashi found himself staring at it, realizing that if it weren’t for his fake sense of self-control he would have long since leaned in to lick the alpha clean. 

He blinked hard, as if to straighten his thoughts. That was completely inappropriate. Especially with the kind of heartfelt story Bokuto had just given. This was precisely why all of Akaashi’s previous relationships had crumbled. Because he was always in a particular… _mindset_ about things.

If nothing else he was going to do everything in his power to keep Bokuto from _that_ side of him. He wanted to get to know the alpha honestly. And for the alpha to get to know him. 

“So tell me about your bakery! What made you want to be a baker?” 

Akaashi nearly choked on his ice cream, coughing slightly and patting on his chest, wondering if he should tell the alpha the true story. With hesitant eyes, he looked up, swallowing down the melted ice cream that’d gotten caught in his throat. 

“Well…I wasn’t very good in the kitchen in the beginning. I burned toast.”

Bokuto laughed, “Somehow I don’t believe you.” 

Akaashi raised an eyebrow while cocking his head to the side, shaking his head to refute the fact. “No, truly. In any case,” he tucked a hair behind his ear that didn’t need tucking, “When I was a second year in high school I began to take an interest in it.” 

There was a pause, as if Bokuto was waiting to hear the rest. Except Akaashi didn’t continue.

The alpha blinked. “That’s it?” 

Akaashi stared blankly. When in doubt, his expressionless facade always seemed to work.

“Huh,” Bokuto leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, “Well I guess inspiration can come from anywhere. I’m glad you found your passion Akaashi!” 

He cracked a smile at that, lowering his head slightly, “It keeps things interesting, that’s for sure.” 

Like hell he was going to tell the alpha that he’d begun an entire business out of pure spite. 

“But,” Bokuto said, in a way that caught the omega’s attention, what with the way his arms were still crossed, a wild smirk claiming his lips as he leaned forward, “I still don’t believe you.”

Akaashi flushed at that, locking eyes with the alpha, in a way that almost seemed to compel him to tell the story. 

His blood rushed. It seemed his body never failed to remind him that he was an omega. One who was currently in the presence of an alpha, no less. The word tumbled out of his mouth before he had a chance to say otherwise. 

“On Valentine’s Day, you are supposed to confess to the one you love with chocolate.” 

The alpha’s eyes widened, as he slowly uncrossed his arms, wondering what had warranted the sudden jump in topic. “Yeah…at least, that’s how it’s supposed to go.” 

Akaashi sighed, before nodding in agreement. “I didn’t know how to make chocolate, back then.” 

Bokuto nodded, urging him to go on. 

“So I decided to bake a cake instead. Nothing fancy. It was very small.” He glanced up at the alpha behind shy lashes, to check if he was still paying attention. He seemed to be, so the omega continued. “It didn’t end well,” Akaashi smiled beautifully, looking at Bokuto with a certain sparkle in his eyes, “He called my cake dry. Among other things.” 

“And so, after that—”

“He works part-time now for some no-name company,” Akaashi provided happily, “And I run my own business full of cakes that melt on your tongue.” 

Bokuto gave an incredulous sort of scoff, staring at Akaashi as if he were seeing him for the first time all over again. “That’s amazing. You’re amazing.” 

He didn’t really have a chance to reply, since his phone began to go off. Akaashi reached into his pocket to pull it out, shutting off his alarm. 

“Speaking of cakes,” he sighed, “I’m sorry. If I don’t pull some product from the fridge tonight they won’t be ready by tomorrow morning.” 

“Oh no worries!” Bokuto beamed, “I understand.” 

Akaashi’s fist circled around his phone, his mind rushing with about a million and one ways on how to properly phrase his question. 

“Would you…would you perhaps want to come with me? We could have a taste test.” 

_Bad word choice, very bad word choice._

“Sure! Your desserts are always the best Akaashi!” 

The omega exhaled. Luckily for him, Bokuto seemed to have no concept of an innuendo. 

They made their way to station, Bokuto letting Akaashi have the seat on the train. It was a simple gesture, and yet, it was enough to send little prickles of excitement all throughout the omega’s body. 

When they finally made it to the bakery, and Akaashi was able to turn on all the lights, he calmed slightly, inhaling the familiar scent of the place where he spent most of his time. 

He set the shiba plush down by the register, before turning to smile at the alpha, and motioning for him to follow. “You’ve never seen the back, have you?” 

Akaashi gave the alpha a small tour of his work station, reveling in how intrigued Bokuto seemed to be about everything, taking a genuine interest in everything Akaashi had to say. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d spoken so much. Eventually, though, he couldn’t put off the frozen treats any longer, tugging on the giant freezer doors to pull out one of his best-selling sweets. 

“You need help with that?”

“Oh, no, it’s—”

Maybe it was just the cold of the freezer, that made Bokuto’s body heat all the more obvious. But Akaashi went red regardless, the alpha’s chest almost up against his back as he reached over Akaashi’s head, and took the tray from him. 

“Where do you want it?” The alpha grinned proudly. 

Weakly, Akaashi pointed to the counter, “Just there is fine. I’ll cover them properly.” 

Bokuto nodded, doing as was instructed. 

Akaashi bit his lip, and took in a deep breath, apologizing in advance to fate for pushing his own luck. But damnit he couldn’t help himself.

“Oh…no…” 

“What happened?” 

Akaashi brought pensive fingers to his lips, “Kiko, she always…those baking sheets on the rack there. They should actually be over here, so that I can get the bread started tomorrow. But Kiko isn’t strong enough to move them on her own…” 

“I can do it—”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t ask you to—”

Bokuto chuckled, “It’s fine, I do this all the time at the bar too. Besides I wouldn’t want you hurting your back or anything.” 

“That’s very kind of you, Bokuto-san.” 

The alpha nodded, getting to work on the trays. 

As a baker, Akaashi Keiji had the upper body strength of a bear. But it was fine if Bokuto didn’t realize that quite yet. Because ever since that day at the _Port,_ Akaashi had realized he had a rather sick obsession with watching the alpha move around heavy objects. And watching him move _his_ baking sheets all over the place, as if they were some sort of married couple, was not dissatisfying in the least. 

In fact, the omega probably enjoyed it just a tad too much. 

When he’d finished, Bokuto turned to Akaashi for approval. The omega granted it, thanking him humbly. 

There was a certain shift in the quiet of the room. One that begged to be filled. It was the kind of awkwardness that could only be held in a moment like this, with alpha and omega far enough away to not touch, but their scents heavily filling the gaps for them, as if drawing them together like a winding thread. 

Akaashi cleared his throat, needing to say something, _anything_ to fill the pause, “Again, thank you. For everything else as well, Bokuto. The dinners, and your patronage…and for today…” He swallowed, hoping the alpha had noticed the drop of the honorific.

He certainly seemed to, because the alpha took his hand just then, snapping Akaashi into the ever-real present.

“Akaashi.” 

Eyes like that, the omega thought, with their sharp gaze and kind outline, could only belong to an alpha. 

He hadn’t realized how close they’d gotten. With his back pressed against the counter, and Bokuto holding his hand ever so tenderly, then that could only mean…

“Is it ok?” The alpha dipped his head, but stopped just before, locking eyes with the omega again, in a way that seemed to capture Akaashi entirely under his gaze, his body racing with adrenaline that had nowhere to go. 

Perhaps that was what was causing his legs to shake. 

He lashes fluttered closed, and he leaned in, allowing the action to speak for him, Bokuto’s lips meeting his own in pleasant warmth. 

It was, in a word, a kiss. But it was _Bokuto’s_ kiss, which somehow made it better than anything Akaashi had ever experienced. 

Both pulled away rather shyly, giggling softly to themselves, the alpha admitting he hadn’t felt this nervous since middle school. 

Akaashi looked at the alpha, knowing his cheeks were bright pink as he took Bokuto’s hands into his own, his turn to take the initiative. “Then, until you are no longer nervous,” he licked his lips anxiously, rolling his thumbs into the alpha’s palm. “Please continue to kiss me.” 

Large hands caught the omega’s cheeks, in a kiss so tender Akaashi thought he might just melt in the alpha’s hold.

The omega had noticed it before, but with the alpha so close to him, his scent assaulting the omega’s senses, there could be no doubt.

Bokuto Koutarou smelled like french vanilla.

* * *

 

Oikawa Tooru woke up, for the first time in nearly six years, to a _good morning_ text that did not come from Koutarou. 

Which was an odd thing in and of itself, because he wasn’t sure how to reply to something that wasn’t business related anymore. He wasn’t sure _what_ to reply. Could he ignore it? _Should_ he ignore it? The date was about as successful as he could have hoped, but…

He held the phone under the covers, as if it were some kind of secret, reading the short message over and over again. 

Gathering his nerve, he managed to send a good morning message of his own. Feeling stupidly giddy, he left his phone on the nightstand, deciding to shower and start his day, since Eiji would be up soon, after all, and he always made him pancakes on the weekends. 

As much as he tried to distract himself, however, it wasn’t enough to stop Tooru from taking one of the fastest showers on record, and bolting back out to his bedroom to check his phone. 

_How’d you sleep?_

He quickly typed out his reply but then stopped. Blinked at the screen. Nearly dropped his phone. 

Putting a hand over his mouth, the omega inhaled and exhaling deeply. This was it, wasn’t it? If he replied to this, if he kept this going, there’d be no turning back, would there? Not that he necessarily _wanted_ to turn back, but with each positive thought of Hajime came a negative one of Kaito, and then of Eiji, and if Oikawa—

“Mommy!!!” 

The jolt it caused in his body made him push _send,_ though if it was an accident or done on purpose Oikawa would never tell, and as quickly as he could he threw on a shirt before calling out to his son. He tossed his phone onto his unmade bed, thinking that he had more important things to do. 

But even so, the omega could tell, that phone would no doubt be back in his pocket before he’d even get the chance to start the batter for Eiji’s breakfast. 

Well. 

He’d never said he was patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things Madame should nOT do:  
> Update a chapter when she has five other pending assignments for uni. 
> 
> Things Madame does regardless because fuck responsibility:  
> Update a chapter when she has five other pending assignments for uni.
> 
> Lmao school is murder you guys I really don't know how long I can keep this up for but here's the chapter XD Thanks for all of your support on it so far! Comments are greatly appreciated, as always.


	9. Chapter 9

“Wait,” Oikawa couldn’t hear what Bokuto was saying at all, “Say that one more—EIJI! I’M ON THE PHONE!” 

Bokuto bit his lip to keep from laughing, listening to Tooru discipline his son. 

“No I _don’t_ care—who do you think bought you the race track?” 

He could hear a small voice trembling, _“But Mommy didn’t buy it! Santa brought it for Christmas!”_

Oikawa let out a small curse word under his breath, groaning into the phone, “Kou, I can’t—I’m about to have a crisis over here—”

The alpha laughed, “You just focus on holding down the fort. I’ll drop by later—”

“If you keep this up you can kiss your birthday party goodbye—”

_“But Mommy! I’m only playing—!”_

“Oikawa Tooru Eiji! How many times have I told you _not_ to play by the—! Kou, I’ll call you back.”

“Don’t worry.” 

The line went dead, and Bokuto assumed Eiji was in for the scolding of his life, if Tooru’s tone was any indication. He figured that since he had some time to kill, he might as well stop by Akaashi’s apartment for a bit, before going to see Tooru and Eiji. 

And he was so glad he did.

Spending time with Akaashi just made him happy. They’d had a decent amount of development, which Bokuto was more than grateful for, since it’d been a long time since he was in a relationship like this. And the omega was a lot more affectionate than their first few meetings let on. Not that Bokuto minded, since he was rather affectionate himself. If it were up to him, he’d be nuzzling the omega every moment of every day.

Especially when it was just the two of them, sitting on the omega’s couch, scenting away to their heart’s content. 

Sometimes, Akaashi even _purred._

Which, naturally, always made Bokuto’s chest swell up with pride. But best of all was when his nose was right up against the omega’s scent glands, that delicious scent clouding his senses, that exact moment when Bokuto thought he might stop and pull away, and the omega would shiver, letting out a soft whine at the loss of contact. 

It was enough to send any sane man into delirium. 

Only, this time around, Akaashi pushed him away first, settling on his own side of the couch, holding Bokuto’s large hands in his own. The sudden shift in scent was one Bokuto didn’t like. And there was also the fact that Akaashi was choosing to look at their hands, rather than at the alpha himself. 

“There’s something I need to tell you.” 

Bokuto swallowed. They’d only been going out for a few weeks. How badly had he managed to fuck up already? 

“Yeah, sure,” he squeezed the omega’s hands, “Anything.” 

Hesitantly, Akaashi looked up, and Bokuto noticed the omega’s hands begin to sweat. He held onto them all the tighter. 

“I don’t know how else to say it, so I will be blunt,” he began, his face as unreadable as ever, “I am, and have always been, easily prone to touch starvation.” 

Bokuto blinked, not really sure what that was supposed to mean or how he was supposed to react. Was he not giving him enough attention?

“It’s caused me trouble in the past, so I just wanted you to know.” 

Bokuto reached up, touching the omega’s cheek. He knew touch starvation could lead to depressive episodes in omegas. Sometimes it even sent them into states of shock or worse. He didn’t want Akaashi to go through that. 

“I—“ he stopped himself, trying to figure out what to say, “I haven’t been ignoring you on purpose or anything. We’ve both got kind of rough schedules sometimes—”

Akaashi shook his head, “It’s nothing like that. I know perfectly well how busy we both are. And I assure you, I haven’t been touched starved in a while. But,” he looked at the alpha dead on, his gaze set, “I will do what I need to in order to keep it that way.” 

Bokuto smiled softly, rubbing his thumb against the omega’s cheek, “Hey,” he said, “Don’t feel like you have to explain yourself to me. We’re in this together, so…whatever I can do to help, just let me know.” 

Akaashi nodded, his calm demeanor as cold and as beautiful as ever. “I just want it understood that I will scent others platonically. Other alphas have had issues with this in the past. But this is for my own health and I won’t apologize for it. There are pills available, but they’re still relatively new, so the side effects are ones I’d rather not risk. It’s my body so I’ll choose what sort of pharmaceuticals I subject myself to.” 

From the tone of his voice Bokuto could tell this wasn’t the first time Akaashi had had this conversation with someone. He didn’t know what he hated more— the fact that the omega had this speech down, or the fact that he’d been wronged by enough alphas to need a speech in the first place. 

“That’s fine,” Bokuto encouraged, “Whatever you need to do.” 

“My family is not in Tokyo,” Akaashi continued, “Which is why I often rely on my friends—”

Bokuto pulled him in, smothering the omega into his chest, because the way Akaashi said it all with such a straight face was sort of painful. 

“Don’t worry. I’m not that kind of alpha.” 

Akaashi squirmed out of his hold, so that they were looking at each other properly once more. “I just need you to understand, that when I scent others I am doing so platonically, and in no way is it with the intention of being unfaithful. I know we’ve only just started seeing each other, but I wanted you to know.” Akaashi swallowed, and there was a small pause, as if he were allowing Bokuto to take it all in. 

“Of course,” Akaashi paused again, and it was here that his facade finally seemed to crack, his voice shaking slightly, “I understand if this is not something you are comfortable with. In which case…” the omega’s hands began to tremble, ever so softly, and Bokuto really couldn’t take it anymore. He took those trembling hands, and placed soft kisses to the backs of his palms. 

“I’ve told you already,” he said, “But I like all of you. So even if it means you have to scent others sometimes…that’s ok. Honestly it bites into my instincts a bit, but so long as we understand and trust each other, it’s ok, right?” 

Akaashi nodded silently, blinking back his emotions. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

“If it’s ok with you, though,” he squeezed the omega’s hands again, “As much as is humanly possible, can I be the one to help you?” He finished off the request with a rather goofy smile, looking at the omega hopefully. 

Akaashi gave a chortle of a laugh in response, nodding his head eagerly. “I’m sorry if what I said caught you off-guard. Or if it came off as overtly serious. But I needed you to know, before we got too involved with each other.” 

The alpha nodded, smiling at the omega. “Thank you for telling me.” 

Akaashi scoffed, lowering his head and pulling his hands away, crossing them and unfolding them, as if he were at a loss for what to do, “I’m sorry I—it seems I completely ruined the moment.” 

Bokuto leaned in, granting him a soft peck on the nose, “Not at all,” he said, before moving to his lips, “Communication is important.” 

Akaashi’s hands found their way around Bokuto’s neck, “I’m glad you think so…” 

Everything else was left unsaid, because it didn’t have to be, not when the way they felt was exchanged effortlessly, across lips that had no need to speak. 

* * *

 

Eiji didn’t come running to greet him the way he usually did. Instead he was just wandering listlessly around the kitchen, ignoring his mother’s pudding offer. Bokuto sat down at the kitchen counter. “What’s wrong with him?” 

With an eyeroll Oikawa didn’t bother to hide, he gave a short sigh, and dug into the pudding that Eiji didn’t want. 

“He’s being grumpy today.”

“Grumpy?” Bokuto took the opportunity to reach out and catch Eiji, picking him up and placing the young alpha on his knee. It didn’t come without a small struggle, but he managed. “How come?” 

Tooru responded with the spoon still in his mouth, “He got in trouble.” 

Eiji stayed silent. 

“Did you, now?” Bokuto looked at his nephew, “You’ve got to listen to your mom, don’t you?” 

At this, the young alpha immediately jumped in to defend himself, “I _did—”_

“Don’t think you’ll get any sympathy from your uncle, Ei-chan,” Tooru pointed at him with the spoon, “I only yell at you because I care.” 

Bokuto bounced him on his knee, “He knows that,” he turned his head to look at the little alpha, “Don’t you Eiji?” 

Eiji continued to pout, staring at his mother stubbornly. Oikawa licked the spoon, before waving it around, “You sure you don’t want some? This pudding is de~li~cious~” 

Eiji made a weird face, as if he were trying to hold back a smile. So instead, he quickly shook his head. 

“I don’t think he wants the pudding, Tooru.” 

The omega hummed, “I guess not. Guess we’ll have to eat it all ourselves.”

“No point in buying them anymore either. Since Eiji isn’t going to eat any.” 

“True. Once these are gone I won’t buy pudding anymore.”

“W-Wait!” Eiji blushed, lowering his head and shifting in his spot, “You don’t have to… _never_ buy them…” 

“Oh ho ho?” Bokuto brought his hand up, tickling the child’s stomach, “What’s this? Quickly Tooru! The pudding!” 

Eiji was laughing, kicking his legs though it didn’t do much, Bokuto holding him down while his mom popped the spoonful of chocolate pudding in his son’s mouth. 

“He’s been revived!” Bokuto didn’t waste a moment, holding Eiji up simba style, pudding dripping down his chin as the child continued to roll over in laughter. When he was finally put back down, he wasn’t allowed to escape, his mom catching him in a warm hug, nuzzling his scent glands, enveloping his son in his scent. 

To Eiji, Mommy always smelled like warm milk. 

“Better?” Oikawa rubbed noses with his son, crinkling his features to make a funny face.

The young alpha nodded, mimicking his mother’s silly face, as if it were a silent pact of sorts. 

“Good,” Tooru gave him a kiss on the cheek, followed by a ruffling of his hair. 

“Mommy?” Eiji wasted no time, following behind his mother, “Can I go play now?” 

Tooru nodded with a knowing smile, bending down again with a napkin to clear Eiji’s face of the excess pudding. “As long as you play carefully.” 

Eiji promised he would. 

He and Bokuto were left alone, Tooru taking the stool beside the alpha’s. The omega let out another sigh. 

“I’m tired.”

“It shows.” 

Oikawa made a face, nudging his friend deeply with his elbow, “No you’re not, _Tooru._ You’re a glowing beacon of youth and energy, _Tooru._ ”

“I gotta be honest,” Bokuto defended with a chuckle. 

The omega lowered his voice, “If he would’ve thrown a tantrum today I might’ve killed him.” 

Bokuto laughed again, “Was it that bad?” 

“Honestly I just—” Oikawa’s phone buzzed against the counter, and the omega reached over to check it, flipping it over and unlocking his screen. 

There was a look on his face that Bokuto found all too familiar.

“Uh oh,” he teased knowingly, “Smiling at your phone? Someone’s a goner.” 

Oikawa immediately locked his phone. “Shut up.” 

“Still smiling~”

“I'm not—“

“You totally are!”

“Well—“ Tooru reddened, palming his phone, “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No,” Bokuto grinned, leaning back, “Not at all.”

Oikawa but his lip, “I'm nervous.”

“That's understandable.”

“He _waves,_ Kou. When I'm getting home. He waves from the park.”

“That's kinda cute.”

The omega hid behind his hands, “I know.” 

“Have you seen him again since?”

“He dropped by for a bit the other day. And last week too.”

Bokuto made some kissing noises with his mouth, puckering his lips right in front of his friend’s face. If Oikawa had anything to throw he would have thrown it. 

“It's not…” He cleared his throat, “ _Like_ that yet.”

“Ooooh _yet?_ What’s _that_ supposed to mean—“

“Oh just shut up. Tell me about Akaashi. What was his first name again?”

“Keiji.” Bokuto beamed proudly, “Akaashi Keiji.” 

“Based on that smile I take it it already _is_ that way for you guys.”

The alpha practically hooted. “We haven’t gone all the way. We wanna take it slow. But he’s surprisingly cuddly!”

Tooru made a face, “Really?”

“Yeah! He's really into snuggling and scenting. Which is obviously awesome.” 

“Hm.”

Bokuto crinkled his features, “What?”

“No,” Tooru shrugged nonchalantly, “It just seems weird that's all.”

“How so?”

“Didn't you say he was all…stoic? Isn't that why you liked him in the first place?”

“Yeah, that's why it's such a big surprise!”

“Mhmm.”

Bokuto rolled his eyes, “Just say it Tooru.”

“Well don't you think it's weird that he suddenly becomes affectionate after you tell him the kind of business you run?”

“It's not like I was flashing money in his face—“

“Kou. This is the exact same thing that happened last time—“

“No, no she was different. I should've listened to you on that one. But Akaashi is—“

“I'm just saying to be careful, that's all.”

The alpha frowned. “You don't believe me.”

“I'm just being cautious.”

“Well then why don't you meet him,” he suggested, “Then you can see for yourself.” 

The omega shrugged, “Fine. We can grab a cup of coffee—“

“No. We're doing our double date.”

Oikawa paled. “No. We don't know each other—“

“What better way to get to know someone!”

“Koutarou—“

_“Tooru—“_

He pursed his lips, “This is a bad idea.”

“It's a _great_ idea. You always think you’re right about everything—”

“I usually am—”

“You’ll see. This time I got it.”Bokuto smiled proudly. 

Oikawa gave a groan, “Well tell me when. I’d have to get my mom to babysit.” 

“Is that a yes!?!”

“A grudge-filled one.” 

“Trust me. Akaashi is solid. Besides, I wanna see this Iwa guy again. If you ask me, he’s moving too slow.”

“We’re moving along just _fine,_ thank you.” 

“What’re you scared of?” Bokuto asked, “That he’ll see how thirsty you are? Trust me, alphas love that—”

Tooru found that he didn’t _need_ to throw anything, because smacking his hand against the back of Bokuto’s head worked just as well. 

“He’s being respectful of the pace I’ve set.” Tooru smiled. 

Bokuto shook his head, “Just make some sort of progress before we all shrivel up and _die—”_

“Give me a break! I’ve got enough to worry about trying to explain this all to Eiji.” 

“He’s a smart kid,” Bokuto encouraged, “I think, no matter what happens, he’ll understand. He’ll be fine, and so will you.” 

Tooru inhaled deeply, “We don’t know that for sure.” 

Bokuto rubbed his back, smacking it with brute strength, “You’re Oikawa Tooru. And that kid you got? He’s basically a you 2.0. So yeah, I think you guys will be just fine.” 

Tooru tried to bite back his smile, letting out the breath he’d seemed to be holding. “I guess you’re right.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got a cold but I finished all my assignments so...happy update day? Lmfao what is this school starts and I get overwhelmed but at the same time I've been updating my stories weekly. It's like my body is dead set on working against me XD Anyways, hope you all enjoy, and prepare yourselves, because I'm fucking excited for the next chapter. This double date is gonna be, as the kids are saying, "wild." Comments are greatly appreciated as always ^o^ They really motivate me to write!


	10. Chapter 10

When the doorbell rang, Tooru was still in the bathroom. With the sudden sound came a decision, so he pulled at a tissue, and wiped off the lip gloss he’d been debating whether or not to wear. It felt like too much. 

He fluffed up his hair, stealing one last glance at the mirror before heading down the stairs. The doorbell rang a second time, and he yelled out that he was going, tugging the door open to reveal a cleanly dressed Iwa. 

His chest didn’t tighten. And his stomach most _definitely_ didn’t flop. 

“Hey,” Iwa smiled the kind of smile that showed off his teeth, “Ready?”

Oikawa nodded, reaching for his large black wallet and then shutting off the lights before closing the door behind him. 

“You look really good.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened, but only slightly, the omega tucking some hair behind his ear. “Thank you,” he said, “You look good too.”

Iwa smiled, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’m excited to try the food.”

“If it’s bad, don’t blame me,” Oikawa teased, “Bokuto did all the planning.” 

Iwa chuckled in response, “I’m sure it’ll be fine. How’s Eiji? He gonna be okay for the night?”

Oikawa smiled at the alpha’s genuine concern over his son. “Yeah,” he told him, “He’s with my parents and they love spoiling him so…hopefully my mom won’t give him anything weird…”

“Weird?”

The omega nodded, “She’s really into home remedies and natural things. I was unfortunately subject to all her whims.” 

“Sound somewhat unfortunate,”

“Sometimes,” Oikawa admitted, “They never tasted very good.” 

They laughed a bit more at that, making their way towards the station. There was a pleasant breeze flowing, one that made the humidity not seem as bad. Oikawa liked nights like these the most. 

“Would it be too bold if I hold your hand?” Iwa said suddenly. 

It was enough to get Oikawa to look at him, because there was something about the way Iwa said things like that, his voice heavy with sincerity and eyes soft around the edges. 

“Bold?” He tried to sound nonchalant, “Isn’t that just normal?”

His hand was taken easily, into a large, warm palm that somehow managed to calm him while simultaneously sending his nerves into a frenzy. 

It wasn’t really until then, that Tooru realized, the only hands he’d held for the last five years were Eiji’s. And he was always the one doing the holding. 

It’d been a really long time, he thought, since his hand had last felt this small. 

…

Akaashi wasn’t ignorant to his looks. It was something he had always been relatively confident about. 

Which was why he did a double take, when he finally saw what Oikawa Tooru looked like. 

It shouldn’t have come as any surprise, considering what his son had looked like, but it still managed to throw Akaashi for a loop, especially when they got up close, and the omega’s height became all the more apparent. He wore high waisted capris that only made his legs look all the longer, paired with a flowy blouse that complimented his shoulders nicely, all topped off with pointed, black flats. Simple, yet elegant.

What this really the omega that was constantly around the alpha Akaashi was supposed to be dating? 

Akaashi hesitated slightly, wondering if the black skinny jeans he’d worn were perhaps too casual. 

“This is Oikawa! Oikawa Tooru!” Bokuto guided them together, Oikawa being the first to extend his hand. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

Akaashi took it, shaking it amiably, “The same goes for you,” he said politely. 

The omega hummed, “This is Iwaizumi Hajime.” 

The alpha came forward, shaking Akaashi’s hand with a solid nod, “Pleasure.” 

“Good to see you again, Iwaizumi.” Bokuto gave a chaste smile. 

Iwa nodded in response, “Same.” 

“Ok,” Bokuto clapped his hands together, “Now that we’ve all been introduced, let’s go. I’m freaking starving.” 

Akaashi let Bokuto take him by the hand, his heart racing slightly as the alpha led them towards the elevators. They’d be dining on the top floor, which apparently wasn’t accessible to the public. It made him all the more nervous. 

Once at the top, they were guided and seated after Bokuto gave his name, the host leading them to a private room and telling them to please enjoy their stay. 

As they were led down the hall, Oikawa commented on the fact that the alpha wanted to show off. 

“This is amazing,” Iwa said, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

Oikawa was towards the front, right behind the host, and when he halted, so did everyone else. “Nothing like it indeed,” he turned to face the group, “What’re you planning here, Kou?” 

Akaashi ignored the small sting the nickname gave to his chest, because everyone else finally saw what Oikawa had seen, and Akaashi’s heart began to race. 

Smack in the middle of the room, was a pole. 

“I—“ the alpha stuttered, “I didn’t ask for that—”

Iwa burst out laughing, making his way to the table, “So this is why private rooms are so expensive—”

“If _entertainment_ shows up, I’m leaving—”

“Oh, shut up Tooru—”

Akaashi silently took his seat, Bokuto rushing behind him to pull out his chair, stopping his argument with the other omega halfway. 

“Well so long as I don’t have to look at it.” Oikawa waved his hand carelessly, thanking Iwa as the alpha pulled out his chair as well. 

“You don’t,” Bokuto snapped, “So stop complaining.” 

Iwa chuckled, taking his seat next to Oikawa, “My guess is the stripper pole has no effect on the food so, I’m good.” 

“Thank you,” Bokuto motioned to the fellow alpha, “Someone with sense.” 

Akaashi shifted in his seat. They all seemed really friendly with one another. 

“You probably don’t recognize me,” Iwa said, and it took a bit for Akaashi to realize the alpha was speaking to him, “But I’ve definitely been to your shop before. Your coffee saves me.” 

“Ah, yes,” Akaashi nodded respectfully, “I thought you looked familiar. Thank you for your patronage.” 

“He makes good tarts, too.” Oikawa added sweetly. But it was the kind of tone Akaashi recognized as being perhaps _too_ sweet. 

Their waiter came out, asking if they’d like to start with any drinks. They all gave their respective orders, Akaashi politely declining and asking for a simple glass of water. 

“Sparkling?” 

Akaashi blushed, “No, just regular is fine. Thank you.” 

The waiter nodded politely. 

“No one’s driving,” Oikawa teased, “You’d be fine with a drink.” 

“Akaashi’s not good with alcohol,” Bokuto answered for him, with a bit of a _bite_ that made the omega’s heart swell, and the alpha across from them stiffen. 

“Oh,” Oikawa’s eyes widened, “Is it a medical condition?” 

Bokuto tensed beside him, so Akaashi acted quickly, motioning to the waiter, “On second thought, I’ll have a mint julep.” 

“Akaashi—”

Oikawa clapped, “There we go! Let’s all have some fun!” 

Akaashi swallowed, calmly fighting his way through with logic. His absolute limit was two drinks. So with just one, and when paired with food, he’d definitely be fine. He wasn’t quite sure what the omega was playing at, but if it meant sucking it up and ordering a drink, then Akaashi could do at least that much. 

“Don’t let Tooru bully you into anything,” Bokuto warned out loud, “Same goes for you, Iwa.” 

Akaashi chuckled politely, “Not at all. I can handle at least one drink.” 

“I tease~” Oikawa smiled, and nudged the alpha. 

Polite chatter ensued, the couples getting to know each other. It wasn’t long before the drinks were brought out, and the conversations began to get livelier. While it wasn’t overtly obvious, Oikawa seemed to be the giggly kind, when he got tipsy. 

Akaashi tried to pace himself, to sip his drink slowly, but with his nerves he seemed to be going a lot faster than he really intended. Bokuto had leaned in to him, whispering in his ear, “Don’t feel like you have to finish it.” 

The omega smiled politely, saying he felt more than fine. 

Which wasn’t necessarily true. Especially after he ordered a second drink. He definitely shouldn’t have done that. The food hadn’t even arrived yet.

Eventually, though, dinner was ordered, some sort of fancy fish that was going to take half an hour to prepare. Which prompted another round of drinks, which Akaashi politely refused. 

No matter what the conversation, Oikawa always managed to circle it back to a joke about the stripper pole. It was starting to set Akaashi’s teeth on edge. 

_What was so bad about stripper poles anyway?_

When dinner came, Akaashi couldn’t be more relieved. He needed something to fill his stomach. He already felt far too hot. He could feel himself leaning into the alpha while he poked at his food, trying to soothe the sudden burning of his skin. 

This was bad. He should try and throw up now before it got any worse. 

But something kept him at the table, be it the conversation, or his own fear of falling over, should he choose to stand. 

He felt like it was probably the latter. But it was already getting hard to breathe, and if he didn’t do something soon then definitely…

Slick pooled between his thighs, and Akaashi had to shift in his seat to adjust to the sudden sensation. It was _very_ hard to breathe. 

“I still can’t believe you booked this place without knowing there’d be a stripper pole right in the middle of—”

“Well it’s not like I’ve ever _eaten_ here before—”

“Sure, sure—”

“I think you just really wanna try it out, Tooru.” 

Akaashi perked up, chopsticks still in his hand as he looked at Oikawa. He _wouldn’t_ , would he? Maybe, if nothing else, to impress the alpha sitting beside him. Because even Akaashi, in his hazed state, noticed the way Iwa glanced over, hope dancing wistfully in those dark eyes at the suggestion.

The omega clicked his tongue with disdain, “Not a chance.” 

Relief washed over Akaashi. He wasn’t quite sure why. But that was probably the most comforting thing he’d heard all evening. He picked at his fish some more, heat knotting and twisting in his stomach. He tapped his foot anxiously. 

Well. If Oikawa wasn’t going to…

Akaashi’s chair scraped against the floor, the omega using the table as an anchor so that he could get up. He made it to the pole easily enough, even if he didn’t necessarily remember the walk there, but the moment his palms pressed against the cold metal, he felt at ease. 

“Akaashi?” 

Bokuto sounded really far away, for some reason. Akaashi spun around the pole once, as a sort of test drive, the music starting to hum in his head. 

The routine came easily. It was the one he’d been working on for the past few weeks. His muscles were familiar with the movement. He glided effortlessly, finding this to be easier than the entire dinner had been, because this, at least, was most definitely his comfort zone. 

This was something he _knew._

He came to a shaky sort of stop, tripping over his own feet in a way that seemed to ruin the rest of the seamless performance, Akaashi’s grip on the pole the only thing that really stopped him from falling over. 

Fuck, he was going to throw up. 

Someone was clapping, though he didn’t really know who, and he was pretty sure someone was yelling too, but none of that really registered, because when he blinked again, taking in a sharp inhale, the room was silent. 

“Where’d you learn how to do that?” The question had come from Bokuto. That much was obvious. It was a tone he recognized. One he’d heard a million times before. That ‘surprised alpha’ sound. It almost stung. Still, he knew he had to answer, because they were all looking at him now. So he shrugged, legs starting to shake. “I don’t like yoga…” He stumbled forward, his head melting into a mess. 

He should have thrown up when he hadthe chance. 

Bokuto was out of his chair in a moment, there to catch Akaashi as he fell, yelling something or other about how he _told_ Oikawa not to force the alcohol. But Akaashi didn’t really care about any of that right now. Because right now, his body was _hot._

He clawed at the alpha, taking a fistful of his nice dress shirt hostage. “Bokuto…” he didn’t recognize his own voice, the desperate whimper that pushed through chattering teeth, “Knot…please…” 

He was pulled away, upon which he whined, falling into who he recognized to be Oikawa, who was screaming again, or maybe it wasn’t screaming, exactly, but it just felt that way. 

_“Kassandra—exchange student—had the same—needs to throw up—”_

Akaashi tried to shake his head. It was too late to throw up now. Right now the only thing to do was—

“I’ll take him home.” 

His body shivered in pleasure. It was such a commanding presence, such a strong _voice,_ that it cut through everything, Akaashi submitting eagerly before the alpha. 

There was a bit more banter he didn’t quite register, because soon enough he was pressed against Bokuto again, covered in a jacket of sorts, being guided down through the restaurant and into what Akaashi guessed was a taxi. 

_Finally._

He clambered over the seats, settling comfortably in the alpha’s lap and suckling on his glands. 

“Akaashi—”

The omega _moaned,_ whimpering happily as he continued to suck, grinding softly against the alpha to find some relief. 

“Just—” the alpha _groaned,_ those large hands and thick fingers digging into Akaashi’s waist in a way that made him _mewl._

“We’re headed to your apartment, ok? Do you have medicine there—”

Akaashi didn’t _want_ medicine. He wanted _Koutarou._

Bokuto was at a complete loss for what to do. He’d dealt with omegas in heat before, but this was completely different. It wasn’t nearly as strong. No doubt what Akaashi meant when he said he was bad with alcohol. 

Still, it was enough to leave him slightly woozy.

But this was his fault. Because he’d selfishly let Tooru talk Akaashi into drinking. Because part of him…kind of wanted to see…

But this was painful. Because Akaashi was obviously in pain. And from what Bokuto remembered of Tooru shouting at him, it definitely had to do with his touch starvation. Where the hell did _Tooru_ get off yelling at _him_ anyway?

Akaashi whined again, and Bokuto was pulled to the present, hyper-aware of his ever present problem. Of course, he couldn’t really do much when Akaashi crashed his lips against his own, giving off those small whimpers that caused the omega’s entire body to shake. 

Bokuto’s grip tightened, forcing the omega to grind just a little harder. He couldn’t help it. Not with the way Akaashi purred above him, kissing him generously, thankfully, as if Bokuto was _everything._

And this wasn’t even the omega’s real _heat._

Fuck. No. He had to stay focused. This was definitely _not_ the time to give into his primal urges. He had an omega to take care of. 

When they finally made it to Akaashi’s apartment building, Bokuto didn’t bother to see if the omega could stand or not, simply decided to carry him instead, all the way to the door. He’d already searched the omega for keys while they were in the car, so opening the door was easy enough, even if he had to support Akaashi with just one arm. 

The excitement seemed to rise, once they were inside the actual apartment, Bokuto trying to get the omega to calm down, but Akaashi having none of it, clawing at the alpha’s shirt, and smothering him with kisses. 

There was a small struggle, upon which they both fell to the ground, Bokuto apologizing profusely, but Akaashi just laughing through it, wrapping his legs and arms around the alpha, and looking up at him with glazed eyes. “Bokuto~” he hummed, practically purring as his eyes fluttered closed, “Kn…ot…” 

His arms slid from Bokuto’s shoulders, and the omega curled in on himself, falling into an easy sleep. 

Shaking limbs no longer able to support him, Bokuto found himself collapsing right next to him. “You’re gonna fucking kill me,” he muttered, “You know that?” 

He stayed on the floor for a while, feeling kind of like an idiot, but more than anything else he needed to steady his breathing. 

Akaashi was out like a light. 

Bokuto sighed, running a hand through his hair. Was this sort of thing supposed to happen, within two months of dating? And everything else aside, where the hell had Akaashi learned to pole dance? 

Silently, the alpha cursed under his breath. 

_Bokuto. Knot._

His body jolted. He should _not_ be remembering that right now. His teeth clenched, wondering how many different names had replaced his own in the past. But he tried not to think about that, instead focused on the fact that they were still on the _floor,_ and gathered the strength to pick the omega up, and carry him to bed.

The apartment was relatively small, so it didn’t take too much to finally get Akaashi into his own room. Putting him down as gently as he could manage, Bokuto wondered if maybe he should try putting the omega in his pajamas. But somehow that felt a bit intrusive, so he decided against it. 

Instead he stood up, patting his hands on his pants, as if he’d accomplished something. Tonight had pretty much been a complete disaster. 

Feeling exhausted, he lied down next to Akaashi, taking the moment to soak in the omega’s features. 

Fuck he was so pretty. 

Bokuto groaned, turning over flat on his back, and running his fingers through gelled hair. He didn’t get very far, though, his fingers getting stuck halfway. 

He wondered if he should just leave. But that felt…weird. Staying also felt weird, though. He turned his head, looking at Akaashi again. The omega was resting soundly, perfectly calm with his body curled ever so slightly. Bokuto edged closer, resting his head on his arm as he admiredthe omega’s features. 

It wouldn’t be such a bad thing, he thought, waking up to a face like that every morning. He sighed, reaching up to shift some of Akaashi’s bangs away from his forehead. He’d probably fucked up all chances of that, though. He should’ve explained to Oikawa properly…shouldn’t have let him put so much pressure on Akaashi…

But Tooru went complete Momma Bear in situations like these. 

Bokuto let out a soft groan, rubbing his temple. Maybe that was just an excuse. 

With a pained face, he leaned towards Akaashi, nuzzling the omega’s nose with his own. A happy hum came from the omega’s chest, soft and steady. So Bokuto did it again, moving over to the omega’s cheek, and then, his neck. 

Akaashi purring was something Bokuto would never get tired of hearing. 

In the end, he stayed. Mostly because he couldn’t find the strength to leave.

* * *

 

When Akaashi woke up that morning, it was to low snores, and the scent of vanilla making his head spin. 

No, it wasn’t the vanilla. Vanilla was a pleasant scent. Soothing and—

He sat up in one single, breathless movement, his head pounding and screaming at him in protest. 

_How many drinks had he had?_

Looking down, he saw he was still in the same clothes from last night. And when he looked over at Bokuto, he saw that the alpha was as well. 

The bed was still made. Had they just…?

It was a situation that was all too familiar and yet incredibly foreign. It wasn’t the first time Akaashi woke up with a hangover and an alpha sleeping next to him in bed. Usually, however, the room was in disarray, and their clothes would be…

He flushed, covering his hand with his mouth before he ran to the bathroom to throw up. This couldn’t be happening. Not again. He said he wouldn’t drink. He didn’t want Bokuto to see that side of him. So why… _why…_

_It’s fine since you don’t wanna be touch starved right?_

_Oh, you’re_ **_that_ ** _kind of omega—_

_I should get you drunk more often—_

He threw up again, hurling into his toilet bowl, tears streaming down his face from the strain and unwanted memories. 

He’d ruined everything. 

After cleaning himself up, he took a quick shower, and finally put on a fresh pair of clothes. Bokuto was still sleeping, so he thought the least he could do was prepare breakfast for the alpha, seeing as he’d gone through the trouble of carrying him home. 

And more than that, he hadn’t even…

Akaashi cooked with anxiety in his fingers. He didn’t know what it meant. Had the alpha not touched him out of respect, or had he found Akaashi’s drunken state disgusting? Someone pure-hearted like Bokuto…

The omega wasn’t ignorant. Alcohol triggered a fake sort of heat in him, which made his tolerance almost nothing. But even if the effects were fake, it was usually still enough for an alpha to—

His stomach lurched, his chest squeezing painfully. For now, he wouldn’t think about that. Right now, his only focus would be to properly thank Bokuto. 

After finishing his own quick breakfast to buy himself time, Akaashi placed Bokuto’s share on a tray, trying to convince himself he was ready to face the consequences of last night’s actions. When he entered the room, he swallowed, encouraging himself, setting the tray down on the nightstand, before softly nudging the alpha awake. 

Bokuto’s eyes shot open, and he sat up far too quickly, Akaashi trying to calm him down. 

“I’ve made breakfast.” 

Bokuto looked from Akaashi to the tray, and then back to Akaashi again, the omega sitting on his knees at the edge of the bed. He had both his hands flat on his thighs, and he licked his lips before bowing his head. “I’m so sorry for the trouble I caused last night.” 

Akaashi was too scared to look up. Because the alpha wasn’t saying anything, and Akaashi was pretty sure that this was the end of it. He took a deep inhale, collecting himself before finally looking up, and letting out a long exhale. 

“Please take your time enjoying the meal. My only request is that if you wish to end our courtship that you not drag it out longer than necessary.” 

Panic rose in the alpha, in a way that came through with more than just his voice, “What?! There’s no way—why would you even say that!” 

Akaashi stared at him blankly, unsure of how to respond. “I—”

“I’m just glad you’re ok! I should apologize for Tooru. He usually isn’t like that. But even so I can’t blame him. It was totally on me for not stopping him when he was teasing you about the alcohol. An alpha’s job is to make sure their omega’s safe and secure. And you clearly didn’t feel that way. So, if anything, I’m the one who’s sorry for failing you.” He, too, bowed his head as he said so, apologizing as formally as possible. 

The omega’s shoulders began to shake. “You…” he whispered, his voice hardly able to be heard, “You don’t think I’m disgusting?” 

Bokuto’s head shot up, and in a moment he was right in front of Akaashi, hand cupping his face. 

“Why would I ever think that?” 

_Because you’re a_ **_slut._ **

Akaashi swallowed, trying to stop the trembling, trying to come up with something intelligible to say, to repress the sudden memory, but unable to manifest a single word. 

“Akaashi,” Bokuto held him tighter, forcing the omega to look at him, “Whoever it was that called you disgusting—they’re wrong. Look at me—dead wrong.” 

Perhaps Bokuto was more aware than Akaashi could have hoped. 

The omega inhaled sharply, giving a short sort of nod, before letting himself collapse entirely into the alpha’s chest, more than anything just wanting the shaking to stop. “I’m—so sorry—“

Bokuto held him tight, the calm scent of vanilla seeming to wrap around Akaashi as well, and he breathed it in, willing his breaths to even out. 

“Please stop apologizing. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Last night was completely my fault, ok? So whatever it is you’re thinking, just blame me instead.” 

Silently the omega nodded, adjusting his position so that his nose was right on the alpha’s scent glands. He inhaled deeply, and finally seemed to relax, his body no longer stiff in Bokuto’s arms. 

“Yesterday…” Bokuto began, his voice low and even, “Tooru said alcohol has that effect on you…is it due to the touch starvation?” 

Akaashi didn’t say anything for a while, simply stayed in the alpha’s hold. But eventually, he gained the courage to speak. 

“Yes. Because of my condition, rather than get drunk, alcohol triggers a false heat. Just a different form of intoxication, I suppose.” 

Bokuto squeezed him slightly, and Akaashi could feel the man’s arms tense around him. 

“This might sound overbearing,” Bokuto began, “And I’m sorry if it is but—“ He stopped himself, unsure if he should continue. Akaashi stayed quiet, wondering if Bokuto was going to tell him to forget it. 

“Could you not drink with anyone except me?”

Akaashi smiled.

“Not—“ Bokuto quickly corrected himself, “Not that I want you really drinking in the first place—I just mean, if you’re going to—I want to make sure—“

“It’s not overbearing,” Akaashi said simply, “It’s as expected of an alpha.” 

Bokuto nuzzled Akaashi’s hair, inhaling the sweet scent, “I get this overwhelming need to want to help you. Is that weird?”

Akaashi flushed, feeling his entire body heat up. It wasn’t until now, that he realized his headache had completely passed. 

“No,” he breathed, hardly recognizing his own voice, “Not at all.” 

The alpha held him like that for a long while, making sure the omega was completely calm before pulling apart, but it didn’t come without a kiss to Akaashi’s forehead. 

Bokuto smiled, “Better?” 

Akaashi avoided his gaze, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He wasn’t quite sure how to show his gratitude. It had been a very long time, since anyone had comforted him. So instead, he reached for the tray, offering it up to the alpha. “You must be hungry. It’s not much but—it’s probably cold by now—“

The tray was taken from him, Bokuto eager for a taste. “Let’s eat!” 

“Oh, I already—”

It didn’t seem to matter, because as soon as Bokuto got his own mouthful, he took some more egg onto the fork, holding it up to offer some to Akaashi. 

With his heart flopping ever so slightly in his chest, Akaashi leaned forward, taking the bite with warmed cheeks. 

Bokuto was truly unlike any alpha Akaashi had been with. 

It was comforting. In about a million different ways. How easily Bokuto spoke, how at ease his voice alone managed to make him, how it made Akaashi want nothing more than to hug him, and thank him a million more times, because after everything that had happened last night, this was probably the last thing he expected to happen. 

“…but I guess I should explain about Tooru.” 

Akaashi blinked, not caring much in particular. Though he was curious how an omega like that could be such close friends with someone like Bokuto. 

“You don’t need to justify—”

“No, I do,” Bokuto said, and Akaashi knew he was serious, because he only rarely interrupted, “I’ve…well the truth is, I was engaged a while back.” 

The omega’s eyes grew wide, for a moment thinking that Oikawa and Bokuto were in some sort of relationship in the past. 

“The omega, she…well I mean I didn’t really see it at first. We met at a party. It wasn’t too long after I’d inherited the bar. I didn’t know what I was doing. But basically she knew how to get what she wanted. And I was an idiot. If it weren’t for Tooru I’m pretty sure I would’ve lost the bar along with everything else.” 

Akaashi leaned in hesitantly, “She was after your money.” 

“Yup!” Bokuto smiled bitterly, “It was a mess, honestly. Tooru and I got into a huge fight over it, since obviously I thought I was defending my future mate or whatever. He saw right through her, though.” 

The omega held his breath, “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” 

Bokuto shrugged, brushing it off, “Good learning experience I guess. But anyway, that guy’s my oldest friend. I mean we’ve been together since we were like eleven. And I know yesterday’s first impressions were completely fucked up but—”

“He’s very dear to you,” Akaashi smiled, “I can understand at least that much.” 

Bokuto smiled back, “He’s a mom. And after everything that’s happened in his own relationships, being overprotective is just his first instinct I guess.” 

Akaashi laughed softly at that, nodding his head. “I’m at fault too, for taking more than one drink in the first place. It seems we could all use a do-over.” 

Bokuto nodded, “That sounds like a plan.” 

The atmosphere completely relaxed after that, Akaashi moving over so that they could sit side by side, and he could pick the fruit off of Bokuto’s plate. The silence was filled by easy conversation, and soft giggles that Akaashi tried to hide behind his hand. 

“You’re a really good cook Akaashi.” 

With a hesitant smile on his face, Akaashi thanked him. This was usually the part where the alpha went on to comment on _what a good little housewife_ the omega would make. He held his breath, hoping Bokuto wouldn’t—

“I’d like to cook something with you next time. I bet we could make something really yummy!” 

Akaashi smiled brightly, thinking that he should have known Bokuto would exceed his expectations as usual. For the first time in a long time, someone was seeing him as an actual partner, instead of just as _omega._

“I’d like that very much, Bokuto.” 

Bokuto nodded, continuing to chew, finding a spot on the bed to zone out on, before he looked at Akaashi again, swallowing carefully before deciding to speak. 

“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

The omega cocked his head to the side, blinking curiously, “Yes?”

Bokuto wiped his face with a napkin. “The pole dancing. That’s not something you pull out out of nowhere.” 

Akaashi smiled, eyes crinkling as he looked at the alpha, “I was wondering when you’d ask…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to start off by saying that I'm really irritated, because my dumbshit group for marketing wants to meet on fucking Sundays of all days to do our weekly group work and I'm not fucking having it. No one seems to take into account the fact that I don't. fucking. live. on. campus. and i have. an hour. fucking. commute. Anyway. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and for your support with this fic ^^ That said, I know we've been missing the IwaOi side of things. Please do not point this out, because believe me, no one is more aware of this than the person who's fucking writing the story. Also please do not point out the fact that Oikawa is being a major asshole and that you "can't stand it" or that you "hate Oikawa in this" because maybe it's supposed to be that way. If that's the only goddamn thing you have to say about this 5000 word chapter then don't bother commenting. If you've been reading my stuff, you know that any chapter over 2k is a major milestone for me. So taking that to just complain about something not going to your liking is just annoying.
> 
> Anyway. The next chapter will be the IwaOi perspective of things, so please bear with me and be patient. There will definitely be more interaction with them, and with Eiji as well, but I'm writing a full, well rounded STORY, so please, like any other STORY, try to understand that not everything can happen at once :) I also kindly ask that if the only thing you have to say is "update soon" that you also hold this to yourself, seeing as it'll only piss me off at this point. As I've mentioned before, this semester has been a bit difficult, and I've been trying to update every week, but like always there's no guarantee. 
> 
> Sorry for letting this get so long, but I'm just irked right now. Fanfic makes me happy, and you guys make me happy with your amazing feedback, but there are certain comments that I know will drive me off the wall right now, so I just wanted to take precaution. Hopefully I don't scare anyone off lol.
> 
> As always, comments are very much appreciated. Thank you for sticking with this story :)


	11. Chapter 11

Oikawa had seen it before. Back when they'd been in university, there'd been an exchange student who was prone to touch starvation. She and Oikawa had gotten along really well. He'd helped her out quite a bit as a result. So for him to have not recognized the signs in Akaashi…

But if Bokuto had just _told_ him then none of this would've happened in the first place. And he wouldn't be looking like the biggest asshole ever, especially not in front of Iwaizumi, who had been somewhat shocked, by the way, and Oikawa was pretty sure that by the end of today his life was going to go back to what it was before Iwa. 

He wouldn't admit it. Not ever, especially over an alpha he barely even _knew,_ had hardly started a connection with, he wouldn't _dare_ say the reason why, but the bottom line was, he was doing all he could to defend himself. Because for one dumb reason or another…

He was scared.

“If I had known I mean obviously I wouldn’t have—”

“Oikawa, it’s ok—”

“This is _not_ ok! I’m an omega too! We have to go through enough shit without—”

He stopped, the waiter coming back to return his credit card. Oikawa sighed, taking it and then signing the receipt. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to chip in? This couldn’t have been cheap—”

Oikawa waved it away, shaking his head, “I can cover at least this much. Kou’s gonna have my head in the morning.” 

“I don’t think it was really your fault,” Iwa encouraged, standing up after Tooru, gathering their things, “I get that you were looking out for Bokuto.” 

The omega looked at him doubtfully, leading the way out of the restaurant. “It’s just that…Kou has no concept of subtlety. I mean for god sakes look where we are. And Akaashi—pretty omegas just have a tendency to use their looks to their advantage.”

“Speaking from experience?”

Iwa received a glare that was enough to make him reconsider the joke. Perhaps it was bad timing. He tried to fix it, “Ok,” he began, “So a suspiciously good-looking omega with surprisingly good pole dancing skills suddenly starts dating your friend. It makes sense. You were being cautious.” 

“Ok the pole dancing even threw _me_ for a loop.” 

Iwa chuckled at that, giving off a low hum in his throat. “I think Bokuto knows you didn’t have bad intentions. I’m sure you guys’ll clear this up in the morning.” 

Tooru thought about that. Iwa was probably right. Maybe tomorrow he’d go and offer Akaashi an apology. That’d probably be the best thing to do. He glanced over at Iwa again, noting how the alpha was smiling at him, in a way that only made Oikawa press his lips together tightly. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re too understanding?” 

The alpha chuckled again, sticking a hand into one of his pockets. A soft breeze tugged at their shirts as they made it outside, and somehow or another, Oikawa found that his hand was being taken hostage once more. Even still, he didn’t pull away. 

“I think I’m average,” Iwa said, “When it comes to understanding, at least.”

Oikawa made a face at that, shaking his head, “Isn’t this the part where you tell me to be a better person, or to apologize, or something—”

A small smirk spread across the alpha’s face, as he squeezed Oikawa’s hand, “Ok, if that’s what you want. I can treat you like a little kid.”

Oikawa pursed his lips, “That’s not what I meant—”

“You sure? Cuz that’s what it sounded like—”

“Oh, look who’s getting all confident all of a sudden—”

“Is that ok?” Iwa smiled at him, tugging gently at his arm, so that Oikawa would walk closer to him, “Me being confident? About us, I mean.” 

Oikawa blushed brightly, deciding to look on ahead, because staring at that honest face was definitely bad for his heart. He’d always liked blunt alphas the most. Even if they were the most annoying kind. But at the very least, Iwa seemed to have a slight touch of delicacy, so Oikawa couldn’t really find any reason to complain. Choosing not to answer, he cleared his throat instead. “Walk me home?” 

The alpha nodded, still not dropping his smile, “I can do that.” 

The entire way back Tooru wondered if his palm had gotten too sweaty. If it had, Iwa didn’t seem to care, because he didn’t let go for a single moment, not when they made their way through the station or got onto the train. And the closer they got to Oikawa’s house, the more his heart began to pound, regardless of the fact that the alpha was keeping the conversation light and easy. 

Up until now, it had been very small things. A quick kiss here, a light touch there. Nothing that was overly bold. 

They hadn’t even scented yet. 

Oikawa wanted to. But he also didn’t. Which was an insane sort of thing to think about, considering he hadn’t been scented in—

Gods, how long had it been, now?

More than anything else Oikawa was pretty sure he’d just forgotten how to do the whole dating thing. He’d been single since having Eiji, and had been in a committed relationship for nearly five years before that, so to suddenly be thrown back into it, with an alpha like Iwaizumi of all things…

He had no idea what he was doing. And that, in itself was more rare of a thing than Oikawa realized. The last time he’d felt this helpless was when he’d first become a mom, and Eiji wouldn’t stop crying at night, and he was left sleepless, wondering if he’d made the right decision in the first place. 

But this was different. Because Iwaizumi wasn’t a child. He was an alpha. A potential mate. A potential _father,_ really, and the thought of it made Oikawa’s breath hitch. Because after Kaito, he hadn’t taken any interest in being courted by another alpha. 

He didn’t want to go through that again. 

Even still, Iwaizumi had managed to bulldoze through all of that, taking his hand and _not_ letting go, as if he intended to stay by Tooru’s side no matter what. 

And that really made his blood rush.

When they finally made it to the apartments, Iwa walked him all the way up the three flights of stairs, stopping just in front of Oikawa’s door, just like he promised he’d do. Finally, Oikawa’s hand was let go of, and he nearly had to stop himself from reaching out for it again. 

“Thank you for dinner,” Iwa smiled, “I know it didn’t go exactly as planned, but I enjoyed it.” 

Oikawa gave a light laugh, “I’m glad you did.” 

There was a soft pause, upon which Oikawa tucked some loose hairs behind his ear, in an attempt to look busy. “Do you, um…” Oikawa hesitated, holding his fingers behind his ear, “Do you want to come in for a coffee…or…?” 

Shit, he sucked at this. Worst of all he couldn’t bring himself to even look at Iwa. _What was he so scared of?_

“Oh,” Iwa blinked, too much too quickly to really be normal, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck, “I uh, I wouldn’t wanna wake up Eiji or anything…”

Oikawa let his hand drop, inhaling and finally lifting his head to look at the alpha. With a quick lick of his lips he let in a sharp inhale. “Eiji is staying at my mom’s tonight…so…”

“Oh.”Iwa’s eyes widened, and Oikawa hoped he hadn’t gotten the wrong idea or anything like that, because although it wasn’t an _innocent_ coffee invitation, it wasn’t a _sinful_ one either.

“Yeah.” The omega swallowed, wanting to make a point, but not really finding the words to do so. 

Iwa cleared his throat, “Yeah,” he said, nodding his head, “Yeah, a coffee sounds great.” 

Oikawa nodded, reaching for his keys and struggling slightly as he unlocked the door, but eventually he made do, inviting Iwa inside and flipping the lights on.

His heart raced. 

“I know we just ate,” Oikawa said, slipping out of his shoes, “But if you’re hungry…”

“Just a coffee is good I think.” 

Oikawa nodded, telling Iwa to go ahead and sit on the couch, since he’d go and get the coffee ready. Iwa offered to help but Oikawa insisted against it, because more than anything else he needed to get a hold of himself. 

He needed to make his intentions clear. Because if he didn’t then this could seriously ruin things. Not that he thought Hajime would try anything without permission, but even still, Oikawa was already starting to freak the fuck out. 

It’d been too long, and he was too old, and he had a _kid_ goddamnit how the hell was this supposed to work? Mothers didn’t just sleazily jump onto an alpha and start making out on the living room couch. Those had been his high school days. Granted, they’d been his college days as well, except college had more of an X-rating to it, as much as Oikawa didn’t want to admit—

The coffee pot beeped at him, since it was instant stuff it was done faster than Oikawa really had a chance to think about anything, so functioning on autopilot, he poured the coffee into two mugs and headed towards the living room. 

Iwa smiled as he walked in, and it sort of took Oikawa’s breath away, but he managed to hide it with a clear of his throat. 

“I just want to make it very clear that I have no intentions of having sex tonight.” 

Iwa stiffened on the couch, looking at him with more fear in his eyes than Oikawa really intended to give him.

_Shit._

Immediately, he cleared his throat again, setting the cups on the table and sitting down next to the alpha. “Kissing is fine…though…” he didn’t look at him when he said it, feeling the adrenaline start to rush in his veins. He hoped Iwa wouldn’t notice him shaking. 

It’d been way too long since he’d done this. 

“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Oikawa nodded, thanking him quietly. Of course, this probably meant that he’d have to be the one to initiate. And after saying something like _that_ , he wasn’t sure how the fuck he was supposed to initiate _anything._

Not knowing what else to do, he reached for his coffee, and Iwa followed suit, the two of them taking slow, silent sips. 

_Really_ silent. 

Tooru thought he might as well just dig a hole and stick his head in it. This was god awful. 

“Ah, um—“ he cursed himself in his head, “How’s your coffee?” He swallowed, the atmosphere in the room seeming incredibly thick, as if his own apartment were trying to suffocate him and finally put him out of his misery.

“It’s good,” Iwa said, smiling politely, “I’m more of a tea guy, but this is really refreshing.” 

“Oh,” Tooru began, somewhat anxiously, “I could have made tea—”

“It’s fine,” Iwa said, setting it down, “I like it.” 

“It would’ve taken the same amount of time—”

“Oikawa—”

“Yeah?”

It took a moment, to realize that the sudden heat on his face was coming from Iwa’s lips, that the alpha was _kissing_ him, and that Oikawa was just pressing his lips together like some sort of virgin, letting out a hiccup of a sound to reveal his surprise. 

_Kiss him back kiss him back kiss him back—_

The alpha pulled away, scoffing softly to himself, and Oikawa thought he might as well just die.

“Okay,” Iwa said, taking Oikawa’s mug and putting it down, before he leaned in again, “But this time open your mouth.”

“What—”

That was pushy. Very pushy and _very_ overbearing and Oikawa was half in his right mind to tell him that _no_ he was _not_ going to do that because the alpha had _no_ right, none whatsoever, and considering the pacing and nature of everything they’d done up until now—

His mouth opened obediently, the moment the alpha had a hand around his chin, squeezing Oikawa’s jaw as if to pop it open, and Oikawa didn’t even have the chance to _breathe,_ before the alpha’s tongue was pressed into his mouth, Iwa’s fingers still squeezing, and Tooru felt his head start to go strange, because the pheromones were suddenly really strong, and it was sort of _cheeky,_ this alpha bastard—

He stopped resisting. Let the alpha lick the inside of his mouth, coaxing out his own tongue, sexy and sloppy and everything Oikawa didn’t know he needed. But he did know one thing: Iwa’s tongue felt good. Warm and pleasant and when paired with this _scent_ that just sent shivers down his spine, it made him want to submit like he was some sort of _teenager,_ like this was the first time he was doing this sort of thing—

Iwa’s tongue pressed up against the roof of his mouth, and Oikawa let out a whine that was much louder than he would have ever wanted it to be. 

Satisfied with that, Iwa finally let him breathe, dropping his hand from the omega’s face and giving a smirking sort of smile. “Thought so.” 

Oikawa tensed, somewhat pissed with that reaction. “Thought _what_?” 

Iwa pointed to his mouth, motioning with his finger, “Most omegas have a soft spot up top, don’t they?” 

Oikawa made a face, crossing his arms and legs, “Kissed a lot of omegas, have you?” 

Iwa laughed at that, leaning in for another kiss, and Oikawa didn’t really stop him, but he did keep his arms crossed, as if he were trying to prove a point. 

“That’s just a known fact, isn’t it?” 

The omega hummed, Iwa’s lips caught between his teeth. “Like how alpha’s have sensitive ears?” 

“That one’s not true.” 

“It’s not?” 

“Try it, if you want.” 

Tooru hesitated, pulling back ever so slightly to scan Iwa’s face, before his eyes finally landed on the alpha’s neck. This felt strange. Natural. As if they’d been kissing for a long time, when in reality this was probably the longest they’d ever gone. And suddenly Iwa was telling him to tease his ears. 

His blood rushed with excitement. 

Without really thinking it through, Oikawa leaned in, nibbling softly at Iwa’s neck, tugging playfully at the skin and working his way up to the alpha’s ears. 

Iwa stiffened when Oikawa suckled on his earlobe, the alpha feeling pleasant shivers run down his spine. 

Oikawa giggled boyishly at the reaction, pressing his lips against Iwa’s neck. “I think you were lying.” 

His lips cracked into a smile, “Caught me red handed, I guess.” 

The gleam in the omega’s eyes weren’t lost on the alpha, and for a moment, he almost felt inclined to whine. 

“Can I try it again?” 

Iwa nodded, “Anything you want.” 

Greed had gotten Oikawa in trouble numerous times in the past. The problem was he never really seemed to learn from it, because he was equally as stupid as he had been back in high school. So rather than lean in again, and tease the alpha like any other normal, flirtatious omega would, Oikawa straddled him instead, dipping his head and sucking just behind the alpha’s ear, and Iwa seemed to like that, because those large hands squeezed Tooru’s hips, the alpha’s jaw clenching, and if that wasn’t getting Tooru’s blood pumping then he didn’t know what was. 

It was impulsive, and probably _really_ stupid, considering what he’d told Iwa when they first started, but he couldn’t really help himself, once he’d gotten his fill of teasing the alpha, pulling away with a soft purr on his lips, brushing just over the shell of Iwa’s ear. 

That seemed to be enough for the alpha to give a soft growl in response, primal reflex urging them forward, but even still Iwa’s touch was a soft one, as he guided Oikawa’s lips back onto his own, letting them brush over again and again with want. 

_“You taste good.”_

Oikawa gave a giggle that was more of a softly whispered moan in response. “You do too.” 

His cheeks were flushed. He knew at least that much. It was ridiculous, how giddy he felt, considering how old he was, considering he was a _mom_ for god sakes but right now, more than anything…

He just felt like Tooru. 

“Can we scent?” His lips were swollen as he licked them, probably bright pink and a mess, but right now, he just couldn’t seem to care. 

Iwa stiffened, his expression something Oikawa didn’t really recognize, and he could feel his own smile dropping off his face. 

“That’s not too fast?” 

Oikawa licked his lips again, sliding off the alpha’s lap, and sitting properly on the couch once more. Hell if he knew. Wasn’t what they were doing before too slow? He thought that maybe, tonight, they’d be able to make up for that a bit, considering…

Gods this was humiliating. 

“You’re probably right! I got ahead of myself,” he flashed a smile at Iwa, reaching over for the coffee mugs, “I’ll go get us some more.” 

Both the cups were nearly full, but it didn’t really matter, because Oikawa just needed to run away. 

It didn’t work though, because Iwa followed him into the kitchen, and Oikawa made himself look busy by throwing the mugs into the microwave. 

“Cold coffee is honestly disgusting. Even when it’s tepid—I don’t know anyone who likes it.” 

Iwa cleared his throat, standing awkwardly off to the side. “Sorry,” he said, “I killed the mood, didn’t I?” 

Oikawa waved his hand at him, as if all the world was dandy, the microwave beeping to get his attention, “It’s good timing anyway. Wouldn’t want to miss the last train, right?” 

“Oikawa?”

“Hm?” 

The alpha stepped forward, and Oikawa unconsciously took a step back, hitting his back against the kitchen counter. 

Iwa cursed under his breath. “Shit, I’m sorry—I just—I didn’t want to—”

Oikawa shook his head, smiling painfully, “It’s fine, so—”

“It’s not fine.” Iwa’s voice was hard, cutting through the anxious pheromones Oikawa could tell he was emitting. “We can scent. I don’t have any issues with that. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t getting caught up in my pace—I know you wanted to take things slow—my pheromones tend to be kind of strong—“

“They are strong.” Oikawa blinked, only just realizing it as he said it out loud. 

Iwa swallowed somewhat painfully, features contorted slightly. “I don’t want to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.” 

Oikawa blinked, the microwave beeping again, but he ignored it, walking up to Iwa, and putting his nose to the alpha’s scent glands, inhaling deeply. 

His mind hazed for a moment, and he swallowed thickly, resting against the alpha’s chest. It was a _really_ strong scent, actually. 

How he hadn’t noticed it before…he wasn’t really sure.

In reality, it wasn’t very easy to make an omega submit. If the omega was unwilling, it’d take an incredibly strong alpha, or a pack leader to do so. It became even more difficult, after an omega has been claimed. And regardless of Oikawa’s lack of a mate, the instinct still held true. Bonds existed to ensure loyalty. 

But, this wasn’t the first time Oikawa had been inclined to submit in front of Iwa before. Even back when the alpha had first stepped into his apartment, there’d been a slight pull in his chest, and…

Hadn’t Koutarou been able to smell it as well?

Oikawa took a hesitant breath, taking in another inhale of the alpha’s scent, trying to confirm his suspicions. “This…” he began slowly, carefully, “Has gotten you in trouble…hasn’t it?” 

The alpha hesitated for a moment, before giving his answer. “Middle school was rough,” he chuckled dryly, in a way that wasn’t really like a chuckle at all, “But I’ve got a hold on it. It’s just when I’m like this…um…” 

“Woe is you,” Oikawa teased, a real smile finally playing upon his lips, “Omegas can’t help but submit when you’re turned on.” 

The alpha struggled, “It’s not really like that—”

Oikawa bit back a smirk, “Platonically, then. If we’re dating we should at least smell like each other.” 

Iwa smiled, “So we’re officially dating?” 

The omega crossed his arms, frowning, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

The smile didn’t drop from the alpha’s lips, as he pulled the omega in, rubbing against his scent glands, “A suspiciously good-looking omega falling for me?” He teased, his voice low, “Surely you’re only after my money.” 

Oikawa snorted, rubbing against Iwa’s scent glands in return, “I make more than you.” 

“There’s no way,” Iwa laughed softly, “You can’t _actually_ care about an idiot like me.” 

Tooru hummed, brushing Iwa’s hair back with his fingers, “Well, you _are_ an idiot.” 

Iwa leaned into his touch, allowing the omega to run his fingers through his hair again and again. 

“Iwaizumi?” Oikawa inhaled, dropping his hands, and struggling to find his courage, “Would you spend the night? Just to sleep.” 

The alpha linked his arms around Oikawa’s back, letting them rest comfortably on his waist, “Is that what you want?” 

Shyly, Tooru nodded, “I want to spend more time with you. But I also want to include Eiji, so that you guys can get to know each other better.” 

“Yeah,” Iwa agreed, “I do too.” 

“You could come pick him up with me tomorrow.” 

“I’d like that.” 

Tooru smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “I’ve got some spare pajamas you can change into. And feel free to use the bath if you need.” 

“That might be a problem.”

He lifted his brow, “How come?” 

“I don’t think I’ll fit into Eiji’s pajamas.” 

Oikawa made a face, smacking the alpha’s chest. “Come on,” he said, “I’ll show you the bathroom.” 

“What about the coffee?” 

The omega’s eyes widened at that, before remembering that their drinks had been left abandoned in the microwave. “Oh. I’ll wash them. You can go ahead and—”

Iwa insisted on staying, because he said he liked watching the way Oikawa washed dishes. 

“That’s kind of weird.” 

“I just like watching you in general.” 

Tooru flushed at that, but only just, “Makes sense, since you were a stalker to begin with.”

“Never gonna let that one go, huh?”

The omega smirked, “Nope.” 

Once he was finished with the mugs, he led Iwa upstairs, showing him the bathroom, and bringing him a spare change of clothes. 

“We’re about the same height but I’m a bit slimmer, so sorry if it’ll be too tight.” 

“I think it’ll be ok.” 

“Ok,” Oikawa smiled, “I’ll take mine after you.” 

Oikawa’s heart couldn’t seem to calm down, though, not while he was waiting for Iwa to shower, or while he was taking his own shower, or even the extra ten minutes he spent _after_ his shower, staring at himself in the mirror and trying to psyche himself up.

They were just going to sleep. It would be fine. He could handle that. It was like a sleepover. It’d be fine. 

God he hoped they’d kiss again. 

When he stepped back into his room, Iwa was sitting on the bed, playing with his phone and trying to keep busy. It was weird to see Iwa in his pajamas. They were a bit tight around his arms, and it only made Oikawa’s heart race all the more. 

Oikawa turned off the lights, before heading over to the bed, his own room feeling foreign to him, the sheets suddenly drenched with Hajime’s scent. 

He tossed the sheets back, climbing in, and suggesting Iwa do the same. The alpha nodded, putting his phone on the nightstand, and sliding under the sheets. 

The scent was overwhelming. 

“Are you horny?” Oikawa blurted out bluntly, licking his lips with anxiousness. 

Even in the dark of the room, he could see how the alpha paled. “No—I mean—it doesn’t just happen when I’m turned on. Right now I’m just really nervous.” 

“Mm,” Oikawa nodded, “Me too.”

Iwa scooched in a little closer, resting his arm under his pillow, “Really?” 

“The only alpha I’ve had in my bed has been Eiji.” Tooru admitted, breath hitching in his chest. 

Iwa smiled, “I won’t pee the bed. Promise.” 

Tooru wasn’t expecting that at all, so he burst out laughing, hiding his face in his pillow while he shook his head, “God please don’t.” 

“I’ll do my best,” Iwa promised with a chuckle, and took the opportunity to inch just a tad bit closer. 

Oikawa was biting his lip to keep from smiling, but it wasn’t really working. They stared at each other for a bit, both of their breaths sharp and short. 

“Can I kiss you again?” 

The omega scanned his face, before nodding, licking his lips again, and moving a bit closer himself. “You don’t really have to ask…” 

Iwa put his hand up to Tooru’s cheek, leaning in slowly, “Just in case.” 

It bled into more than just a kiss, though, their tongues soon meeting, and Tooru’s fingers finding the alpha’s hair a bit too easily. 

His head felt light, and his chest tight. The scent was unlike anything he’d ever experienced with an alpha before, and for a brief moment he thought that if Iwa decided to bite and claim, he wouldn’t even mind. 

“Is the smell too much?” 

“It’s overwhelming,” Oikawa admitted—

“We should stop—”

The omega smirked, pulling him in again, “I like it though,” he brushed his lips over Iwa’s as he said so, taking the alpha’s breath for his own. 

Even still, he gasped, when Iwa’s hands found their way to his sides, his shirt riding up ever so slightly. 

It’d been a long time, since Oikawa had last felt the delicious rush that could only come from calloused hands on bare skin. But the alpha kept it chaste, limiting his hands to just the waist, rolling patterns into Oikawa’s skin with his thumbs. 

The omega didn’t really remember falling asleep, but regardless of when or how it happened, there could be no doubt that the alpha held him through the night, cradling him safely in his arms.

… 

Light came in through the window, so Iwa knew it was morning. He groaned softly, eyes squeezing shut, before the scent hit him, and the realization of where he was washed over him like a wave. 

Lying there, sleeping soundly, was Oikawa. He still couldn’t really believe it. 

Unable to stop himself, Iwa nuzzled him, wanting to see if the omega would purr. 

Oikawa didn’t, but that didn’t even matter, because he gave a whisper of a laugh instead, lips breaking into a smile before he fell back into slumber. So Iwa did it again, because he wanted to _see_ it again, that adorable expression that seemed as if someone were holding his heart, and squeezing it with irregular beats. 

Oikawa giggled again, moving away ever so slightly, lips forming into smile again, “Mm…no…” 

It still wasn’t enough to wake him up, his features relaxing again as he continued to sleep. 

So Iwa tried it just one more time, nibbling lightly at the omega’s scent glands. Oikawa openly giggled in response, shifting slightly, and Iwa thought he might just kiss him. 

“…Kai…to…” 

Oikawa shifted again, before his expression fell flat, completely lost to sleep. 

Iwa sat dumbfounded. It didn’t take very much to figure out what the omega had said, or who the name belonged to. 

And even though Iwa knew it was nothing, it was still enough to make his blood boil. 

But, he realized, he actually didn’t know very much at all. 

Oikawa stirred next to him, and for a moment Iwa panicked, but it subsided just as fast, watching the omega stretch his hands out towards the headboard and then give a long, satisfied sigh. He looked over at Iwa with heavy eyes, slurring his words.

“G’morning…” 

Oh. 

_Fuck._

That was fucking _adorable._

“Did you sleep well?” The omega yawned, before burying his face in his pillow. 

Iwa swallowed, trying to curb his excitement upon seeing such a different side to Oikawa. It was enough to make him forget about whatever might have been said before. “Yeah," he said, "I slept great.” 

“Mmmm,” Oikawa hummed, “That’s good. I hate waking up.” 

“Seems like it.” 

“Don’t get me wrong,” he yawned again, “I’m a morning person.” 

Iwa nodded in agreement, “It’s just the morning part that gets to you, right?” 

The omega giggled into his pillow, and Iwa wondered if it’d be too bold to ask for marriage right then and there. 

“Mm,” Oikawa admitted, “Something like that.” 

“Should we get ready? What time do we have to pick up Eiji?” 

Oikawa nodded, flipping over onto his stomach and giving off a few more murmurs. 

It wasn’t really fair, Iwa thought, how noticeable the omega’s curves were, even under the sheets. And when he said curves, he definitely meant—

“Around 9. Do you wanna stop by your place for new clothes?” 

Iwa swallowed, the question snapping his focus back. “Yeah, that’d be great. Thank you.” 

Oikawa smiled, before nodding again and then giving his body a final stretch. “Then in that case,” he cocked his head at the alpha, “I’ll get started on breakfast.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this chapter has been brought to you by Ally because she's amazing and single handedly pulled me out of a looming art block. I'm so glad I was able to provide the weekly update. Thanks so much for all of your encouraging comments last week, they all put a big smile on my face haha. As always, thoughts on this new chapter are always very much appreciated ^^ Thanks guys! <3


	12. Chapter 12

It was different. Once they got up to the front door of his parent’s house, Oikawa had reverted back to what Iwa was realizing was his mom mode. Which, up until recently, he thought had just been the way Oikawa was. But that morning, and all of last night, really, had proved him to be quite different. 

Oikawa had made them breakfast, talking and laughing all the while, the omega even suggesting for the two of them to do this again, in the future. Iwa couldn’t really ask for anything more. 

But it was different now, since they were standing in front of Oikawa’s parent’s apartment, ringing the doorbell and waiting to be let inside. Oikawa was all posture and strong appearances, much in the same way he’d been when he and Iwa had first met. 

It wasn’t very long before Iwa heard voices behind the door, one of which he was almost sure belonged to Eiji.

When the door finally opened, it was to reveal a short, alpha woman smiling brightly, inviting her son inside. “Come on in, he’s just finishing his breakfast—”

“Um, mom,” Oikawa began quickly, holding her back, “I brought Iwaizumi with me.” 

His mom’s eyes widened, and Iwaizumi stepped forward, smiling warmly. “Iwaizumi Hajime,” he said, giving a small bow, “Pleasure to meet you.” 

Oikawa’s mom nodded her head in acknowledgement, saying the pleasure was all hers. “Oikawa Fumi. I’d have my husband introduce himself but he’s lost in his morning programs.” She laughed a bit, inviting the pair in, and watching as they slid out of their shoes. She kept staring at Iwa all the while, and Oikawa made a comment, warning her to not scare the alpha off. 

Oikawa’s mom gave a knowing smile, looking Iwa up and down one more time. “I hope you’ll forgive me,” she began, “It’s just been quite a while since I’ve come across a scent like yours. It’s a bit rare these days, isn’t it?” 

Iwa gave a shy nod, which Oikawa found curious, looking from Iwa to his mom. “What?” 

His mom motioned to Iwa, “He’s a pack leader.” 

She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Oikawa’s eyes widened in momentary disbelief, his thoughts interrupted by a screaming Eiji, who ran right into his leg. 

“Mr. Iwa is here too!!!” 

For a moment, Oikawa ignored his son, simply put his hand on his head to keep him quiet, and turned to look directly at Iwa. “Is that why your scent is so strong?” 

Fumi laughed, responding for him, “Goodness Tooru. Didn’t you notice? Omegas should be even more aware of these things,” she turned to Iwa, shaking her head, “He was always bad at that sort of thing.”

“Mom!” 

Fumi simply laughed, and finally Eiji’s whines became something Tooru couldn’t ignore for much more. He turned somewhat mechanically, looking down at his son “Yes Eiji?”

“How was the food!”

Oikawa smiled, “We had some really yummy fish.”

“I wanna eat yummy fish!” 

“Maybe next time you can come with us.” 

“And Mr. Iwa too?” 

Oikawa smiled, nodding softly, “If you’d like.” 

“Why don’t you all come in,” Fumi motioned them further inside, “I just put some water to boil—”

“Thanks, Mom, but we have to get going—”

“Nonsense, it’s your day off,” she hooked her arm around Iwa’s, leading him inside, “I want to hear all about the young man dating my son.”

“Mom—”

“Mommy Mommy!” Eiji was tugging at Oikawa’s pants, making grabbing motions with his hands. With a short sigh Oikawa bent down and picked him up, hooking him around his waist. “Were you good for grandma and grandpa?”

Eiji nodded, “Grandpa let me watch tv!” 

“That’s good,” Tooru nuzzled his son, taking the quick moment to scent mark him. 

“Is Mr. Iwa gonna stay for a bit?”

Oikawa nodded, giving his son a flat smile, “I think he’s gonna talk with grandma for a bit.” 

“Mamoru!” Fumi called from the short hallway, “Turn off the television!” 

They were led into the living room, upon which Oikawa’s mom told them to get comfortable, saying she’d be back with tea. Tooru sat down next to Iwa, pulling Eiji onto his lap, Eiji asking all sorts of questions about the night before. 

Oikawa’s dad came in, giving a loud yawn and throwing up a hand to his son in greeting. He took a seat on the large chair by the couch, yawning again and rubbing the back of his head, as if he had only woken up two minutes ago. 

“So you’re Iwaizumi Hajime.” He said finally.

“Yes, sir.” Iwa sat up a little straighter, clearing his throat respectfully. 

“You’ve got a strong scent on you.” Mamoru observed, straightening his glasses.

“That’s because he’s a pack leader,” Fumi smiled proudly, bringing in a tray of tea. Her husband happily took a cup, bringing it up to his lips with both hands. 

“Oh my,” Mamoru brought the cup down once he’d taken a sip, eyes widening behind large glasses, “Isn’t that something,” he smiled kindly, looking at his wife. 

“How is it everyone was able to tell except me?” Oikawa made a face, bouncing Eiji anxiously on his knee. 

“Mommy,” Eiji craned his neck, looking up at Oikawa, “What’s a pack leader?” 

“It’s a strong alpha, sweetheart.” 

Eiji looked from his mom to Iwa. “So Mr. Iwa is super strong?” 

“It’s a bit hard to explain,” Fumi jumped in, “But you can think about it like that.” 

Eiji’s eyes widened impossibly large. “Whoa!!” He leaned forward on his mom’s lap, “That’s awesome! Mr. Iwa! Will you teach me to be super strong too!” 

Oikawa rubbed his son’s hair back, kissing his forehead, “Pack leaders are born that way, Eiji.” 

The light in his eyes dimmed slightly. 

“But you can still be really strong Eiji,” Iwa jumped in, “There’s lots of strong alphas out there that aren’t pack leaders.” 

“So you’ll still teach me?” 

“Sure, if you want.” Iwa smiled. 

The excitement returned to Eiji’s face, as he turned to look at his mother, as if to say _did you hear that Mom??_

Oikawa couldn’t help but smile. 

“So!” Fumi slammed her teacup down a bit too sharply, throwing Iwa a smile that was a bit too polite. “I’m assuming your parents are pack leaders as well.” 

Iwa nodded, “Yes, ma’am. We come from a long line of pack leaders, actually. Otherwise I’m not so sure I would’ve gotten the genes.”

“I’m also assuming that by now you’re aware Tooru is an omega. It would take an _idiot_ after all—” 

_“Mom—”_

“My family’s not prejudiced,” Iwa said, in a rather straightforward fashion, “We’re not trying to continue the line or anything like that.” 

Tooru shifted uncomfortably in his chair. These were all things he’d never considered before because he’d never gotten the chance, and here was his mom bulldozing through an entire relationship he’d barely even gotten the chance to set a solid foundation for. 

“My mom and dad found each other on accident, actually,” Iwa continued, “Pack leader or not though doesn’t matter. How we feel about a potential mate takes priority.” 

Shivers ran down Oikawa’s spine, causing him to sit up straighter, and bow his head. The way Iwa had said the last bit was enough to even get his mom to tilt her head ever so slightly, yielding though it was obvious it wasn’t her intention. 

Now that was _really_ something. The only person he’d ever really seen able to handle his mother was his dad. But that was a rather unique situation, considering Oikawa’s father was a beta to begin with. 

Eiji looked up curiously, “Mommy?” 

Oikawa smiled sweetly, “How about we save this kind of talk for later?” 

Fumi hummed at that, pursing her lips. “Will you be at Eiji’s birthday party?” She said, changing the topic effortlessly.

“Um,” Iwa looked over to Oikawa somewhat anxiously, but Eiji jumped in before anyone else could.

“You should come Mr. Iwa! I’m turning four! Mommy is gonna get tuna!”

“No way,” Iwa replied happily, “Four whole years old?”

Eiji nodded excitedly, “And we’re having tuna!” 

“Well that sounds amazing,” Iwa gave a bright smile, “But I’d have to check to make sure it’s ok.” 

“Mommy,” Eiji tugged on his mother’s sleeve, “Can we invite Mr. Iwa to the party?”

“I think you’ve already taken care of that, Eiji.” Tooru replied calmly. 

“We’d love to have you,” Fumi replied politely, “Wouldn’t we Mamoru?” 

The older gentleman gave an easy smile, “Any friend of Eiji's is a friend of ours.” 

“I think you have that backwards, dear.”

“I don’t believe I do, love.” He picked up his tea again, drinking it happily. 

Oikawa found a space to interject, so he started an entirely new conversation, something light, that everyone could agree on, hoping his mom would get off of Iwaizumi’s back for now. The adults were allowed to chat for a bit, but it wasn’t long before Eiji started feeling left out, and began including his own commentary into the conversation. 

“…so we’re doing baseball next week!” 

“He sure does love sports,” Oikawa’s father commented. 

“And after all that you still have so much energy,” Oikawa ruffled up his son’s hair. 

“Mr. Iwa!” Eiji said, covering his head with his hands to try and evade his mother, “Do you play baseball?!” 

“Yeah,” Iwa chuckled, “I do.” 

“Team captain, no doubt,” Fumi hummed, letting her chin rest in her hand. 

Iwa gave a small scoff, “Not for baseball, no.” 

She clicked her tongue at that, “Shame.” 

“Mr. Iwa!” Eiji said again, completely oblivious to the talk around him, “Will you teach me!” 

He nearly jumped off the couch as he said so, so Oikawa had to hold him back, settling him down on the couch. “I could teach you Eiji,” he told his son, “We could go to the park later today and—”

“But I want Mr. Iwa to teach me!” Eiji pouted, looking at his mother with sharp eyes. 

“Eiji,” Tooru lifted an eyebrow, “People are busy. You can’t just—”

“I don’t really mind,” Iwa tried, smiling encouragingly. 

“Really??”

Oikawa looked at him, disbelief marking his face. “You must be tired. This weekend was—”

“It’s ok,” Iwa shrugged, “I do it all the time. Plus I can’t say no to someone so eager to learn.” 

Eiji agreed enthusiastically, and, while Oikawa was still hesitant, practicing baseball _would_ provid the necessary leverage to finally get the _fuck_ out of his parent’s house. 

So he agreed. 

The goodbyes were short, Oikawa telling Eiji to kiss everyone goodbye, Oikawa giving his own parents a little nuzzle to bump scents. 

Fumi walked them to the door, while Mamoru stayed in the living room, wishing them all a safe trip home. 

Eiji was walking up front with Iwa, talking at about a mile a minute, and Oikawa was about to scold him a bit, but he was pulled aside by his mother, her lips up against his ear. 

“I like this one.” 

Tooru made a face, “Really? Cuz you grilled him half to death—”

“He’s a keeper Tooru,” she wagged her finger at him, “And a pack leader at that. Don’t mess this one up like you did the last one.” 

“Oh because that was _me_ messing it up—”

He was smacked upside the head, which was a wonder, considering how short his mother was. 

“I told you from the start you were too young.” 

“Yeah well,” Oikawa took three long strides, trying to get away, “Maybe now I’m too old.” Either his mother didn’t reply or he just walked away fast enough not to hear it, joining Iwa and his son at the entryway to put his shoes on. 

“Ready to go?” 

“Mommy Mommy! Mr. Iwa is gonna show me how to hit a home run!” 

Instantly, Oikawa’s demeanor changed, and he put a palm to Eiji’s back, “Isn’t that exciting?”

“Yeah! It’s super cool…” he kept talking, but Oikawa tuned it out, giving a final goodbye to his mother, with Iwa doing the same. 

She repeated what a pleasure it was to meet him, saying that she looked forward to seeing him at Eiji’s birthday party. 

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Iwa ensured. 

…

It was a beautiful day to spend at the park. They’d grabbed some lunch beforehand, so by the time they got to the park it was already late afternoon, with the sun low enough in the sky to not be bothersome. It was sort of a nice thing to watch. Oikawa was sitting on a nearby bench while Iwa tossed a ball to Eiji, Eiji missing almost all of the tosses. Still, Oikawa was relaxed. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been out there for—a little under two hours, maybe?— but this was the first time in a while he’d been able to sit back and enjoy the scenery. There were a few birds chirping, the humidity was tolerable, and Eiji—

“I hate this!!” 

Oikawa paled, watching as his son threw the bat down onto the ground, practically _screeching._ God he hoped people weren’t looking. He uncrossed his legs, standing up and walking towards his son, “E-Eiji—”

“Hey now,” Iwa was all calm and slow movements as he picked up the bat, offering it to Eiji, “No one gets things on the first try. But no matter what, we gotta respect the stuff we use. Do you know what respect means?” 

Eiji pouted, looking away and refusing the bat. “No.” 

“You know what respect means,” Oikawa filled in for him, “Don’t be stubborn when Iwaizumi is going out of his way to teach you.” 

“I don’t know!” Eiji nearly screamed, tears welling in his eyes, “And I hate baseball!” 

Oikawa was about to kneel down and grab his kid and get the fuck out of the park. He understood that kids got frustrated easily, and Eiji had given it a strong enough try, but no matter how long he’d been a parent, he didn’t have the patience for tantrums. He didn’t believe in time outs, but he sure as hell wasn’t opposed to yelling some sense into his child behind closed doors.

But he never got the chance. 

“I hated baseball too,” Iwa said, giving a solemn nod. 

That seemed to be enough to capture Eiji’s attention, the young alpha sniffling back the tears that would have otherwise spilled over his cheeks. “You did?” 

“Oh yeah,” the exaggeration in his voice was obvious, but it seemed to be just what Eiji needed, “I couldn’t hit a single ball! I didn’t even make the team.” 

“But Mr. Iwa is really good!” 

“I am now. But that was only after a long time. Do you know why?” 

Eiji was completely entranced in the story, and he shook his head, asking Iwa to answer. 

“Because I practiced. But practicing is really hard, Eiji. Only strong alphas and omegas can practice.” 

“I can practice!” 

“Are you sure?” Iwa leaned in, “Do you know the secret about practice? About what makes it so hard?”

Quickly, Eiji shook his head, wanting to know what Iwa would say. 

“You have to do it every day. And there’s going to be a lot of days where you don’t hit the ball, just like how you did today. But if you keep practicing, then one day, you’ll hit it.” 

“Really?”

“Really.” 

Eiji looked at him with a determined expression. He seemed to be thinking for himself, his gaze going from the bat, to Iwa, and back again, before he finally settled on what it was he wanted to say. 

“How many days of not hitting will it take, Mr. Iwa?” 

“Um,” the alpha faltered slightly, “A few days. It depends on how much you practice.” 

“But how many?” Eiji’s eyes were wide, as if he intended to do the calculation in his head. 

“I know!” Oikawa jumped in, before it got _really_ bad, because Eiji was sometimes too smart for his own good, “How about McDonald’s for dinner today? Since you’ve been working so hard.” 

Eiji gasped happily, all memory of baseball seemingly erased from his mind, “Can I get a calpico shake?!” 

“Yup!” Oikawa said, “Anything you want!” 

Iwa straightened, so that he was standing at his normal height, and not kneeling to match Eiji. “McDonald’s sounds great,” he said, “Assuming you’re inviting me.” 

Oikawa smirked, “You’re not tired of us yet?” 

Iwa gave a soft smile that Oikawa would never admit made his heart skip a beat. “Not at all.” 

“If you want to go home, I can…” 

Iwa shook his head, “Nah. Besides, a calpico shake would be heaven right now.” 

“Yay!” Eiji took Iwa’s hand, guiding him in one general direction or another, “We’re gonna have dinner with Mr. Iwa!” 

It was a rather short walk to McDonald’s, and an even shorter one back home, the three of them sharing stories while they ate their burgers, and sipped on their shakes. Oikawa was very glad to know that his mother hadn’t tried to give Eiji any strange potions last night, but he was slightly disturbed by the fact that his father had allowed the young alpha to join him in his _Law and Order_ marathon. 

He’d have to call him about that later. 

By the time they finished dinner, it was already nearing Eiji’s bedtime. Tooru was so exhausted that when Eiji outright rejected a bath, Tooru just went with it, deciding that he could just do it tomorrow morning. Forcing him and risking another tantrum right now was definitely not something he was really confident he could handle. 

“Alright then, no bath,” he said, clearing the table of trash, “But we gotta get those teeth brushed and into bed.” 

Eiji begrudgingly agreed to those terms, before his head shot up, eyes bright with a sudden idea.

“Can Mr. Iwa tuck me in?” 

Oikawa stiffened, feeling all of his instincts flare up at once. 

_“No.”_

He hadn’t expected the answer to come out as sharply as it had. But there was no taking it back now, and stealing a quick glance at the alpha, Oikawa knew well enough that Iwa could smell the scent he was emitting. Either he didn’t want to comment on it, or he was smart enough to ignore it, silently cleaning up the rest of the table. 

“But I want Mr. Iwa—”

“Come on,” Oikawa grabbed his son by the hand, more roughly than he really wanted, but he couldn’t really help it, considering… 

“But I didn’t say goodnight—”

“Then say goodnight.” 

“Goodnight Mr. Iwa!” Eiji called, tossing his hand back and waving. 

Tooru kept pulling, not really able to calm down until Eiji’s pajamas were on, his teeth were brushed, and he was safely tucked into bed. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint what about it had been so unnerving. But regardless, it scared him.

“Mommy…” the young alpha murmured.

“Yes, Eiji?”

“I had lots of fun today.” 

Oikawa smiled, kissing his forehead, “I did too. I’m happy you had fun.”

“Mr. Iwa is really nice,” he whispered.

Oikawa nodded, “Yes, he is.” 

“Are you gonna marry him Mommy?” 

Breath hitched in his lungs, and Oikawa brought a shaky hand to brush Eiji’s bangs back. “It’s still too soon to know.” 

Eiji nodded, though Oikawa recognized the impatience that lined his son’s expression. 

“You don’t have to think about that,” he told him, kissing his forehead again, “You just focus on sleep, and I’ll have your milk ready when you get up. Just for the two of us.” 

Eiji nodded, hugging his mom goodnight and giving a kiss on the cheek, before turning over and hugging the sheets to his body. Oikawa scented his neck gently, before finally getting up to turn off the lights and head back down the stairs. 

At least Eiji was happy. 

Iwa was in the kitchen waiting for him, having put all the trash in the takeaway bags. “I wasn’t sure where the trash can was, so…”

“Thank you,” Oikawa said, inhaling. “Not just for the trash,” he motioned with his hands, “But for all of today. And yesterday. You must be exhausted.” 

“I’m holding up ok.” 

Oikawa nodded. But then he cleared his throat, gathering the takeaway bags off the counter. “I’m sorry my parents—well my mom really—”

“She’s a tough lady.” 

Oikawa grimaced, “That’s one way to put it,” he opened the doors under the sink and threw the trash away, not looking at Iwa, “You know you could have just said you were a pack leader. Instead of pulling the whole _I’m so mysterious with my strong scent_ thing.” 

“Sorry,” Iwa said immediately, “It’s just, when people find out, they start looking at me differently—honestly I was really glad you hadn’t noticed…”

Oikawa didn’t know if it was just the tension of the weekend finally washing over him, or if he was just tired, or if Iwa was maybe just too much. But for one reason or another, he burst out laughing. 

“Jeez,” he shook his head, running a hand through his hair, “How traumatic was middle school for you?” 

Iwa opened his mouth, but Oikawa held his hand up, shaking his head again, “Actually no. I don’t wanna know. Please don’t tell me.” 

Iwa swallowed, noticeably uncomfortable. Oikawa cleared histhroat, wondering if maybe he’d pushed it a bit too far. 

“I’m—”

They both said it at the same time, and immediately fell to silence. Oikawa motioned for Iwa to go first.

“I’m sorry if…” Iwa began, somewhat unsure, “I feel like I kinda overstayed my welcome. But I really enjoy spending time with you and Eiji.” 

Oikawa shook his head, smiling softly. “It was a nice change. And you handle him so well. I mean you single-handedly stopped a tantrum dead in its tracks,” he gave a weak kind of laugh that betrayed his tone. “Usually it’s just me. And Kou. But lately he’s with Akaashi—which is how it should be, of course…” 

“Oikawa?”

“Yeah?” 

He didn’t know when, exactly, Iwa got close enough to slide his hands along his jaw, thumbs hooking just beneath Tooru’s ears, those large palms on his neck. 

It was a sweet kiss. Soft and slow, Iwa doing it with the kind of comfort that made it seem as though they’d been dating for years, and the scent that was enveloping Oikawa right now made it almost impossible for him to stand on his own, leaning against the alpha for support, submitting and melting into his tender hold. 

“I-Iwa…” he trembled, pulling away, but Iwa kept his palms on Tooru’s face. 

“Don’t make such a sad face,” Iwa whispered, “I can’t stand it.” 

“I didn’t…”

He was kissed again, in that meltingly slow way, the kind that was more comforting than it was arousing, and, Oikawa thought, just for a moment…

He pulled away, their lips making a light sound of protest as they came apart. 

“Can we do this again?” Iwa’s voice was low, gentle, his thumbs brushing over Oikawa’s cheeks. 

The omega smiled, laughing softly, “The kiss?” 

Iwa dipped his head, giving him a chaste peck, “That, dinner, baseball. All of today.” 

Oikawa nodded, putting his hand over Iwa’s, “I think Eiji would like that.” 

“Do you think,” the alpha’s eyes were dark, capturing Tooru in a way he’d forgotten was possible, “You think Eiji’s mom would like that too?” 

Again Oikawa nodded, inhaling in a way that made his chest puff out, “He would. Definitely.” 

It was now Iwa’s turn to nod, the alpha dipping his head again, and for a moment, Tooru thought their lips would meet in another kiss. But instead, Iwa dropped his nose to Tooru’s neck, and the omega felt such a strong _jolt_ that his entire body stiffened in response. 

_“Oh…”_

He held onto Iwa’s arms for support, whimpering softly while his entire body trembled. Iwa’s scent surrounded him, invading his senses and wrapping around his skin like vines, Oikawa feeling as if the alpha were seeping into every last one of his pores. 

This was nothing like how he remembered. But maybe it was because Iwa wasn’t an ordinary alpha.

The thought only caused more shivers to course through his body, Iwa finally pulling away with a sweet kiss to Tooru’s cheeks. 

“I hope that wasn’t too much.” His expression was kind. Hopeful, even, looking at the omega with such a tender smile that Oikawa felt his chest swell and compress all at the same time. 

But Oikawa managed a shake of his head, reaching up to wrap his hand around Iwa’s neck. “My turn,” he said, licking his lips for encouragement as he brought Iwa in close, wanting to scent him in the same way but knowing it to be impossible. 

Something like that could only come from a pack leader. 

Still, he reveled in the way the alpha tightened his grip around his waist, when Tooru finally released his scent, allowing it to mingle with Iwa’s own, alpha and omega marking each other properly, in a way that far surpassed anything platonic scenting could ever hope to accomplish. 

And through the scenting, and the chaste kisses Iwa sneaked in between, Oikawa couldn’t help but think, that something like this, was something he could most definitely get used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I did it but I did. Special thanks again to Ally who is just my shot of mojo that I'm going to drink every time before trying to start a chapter now I guess lmfao. I'm gonna hate myself tomorrow cuz I didn't do any homework but oh well. Comments are much appreciated! <3 Enjoy!!


	13. Chapter 13

Bokuto’s grip tightened around Akaashi’s hand, once they were inside the elevator. 

“I hope this won’t put you off.” 

Bokuto shot him a quick glance, before nuzzling his cheek. “Nothing you do puts me off.” 

Akaashi hummed at the contact, feeling pleasant goosebumps line his arms. “Yes,” he said, “But something like this—”

“It’s for fun, right!” Bokuto beamed, “And you enjoy it so it’s fine.” 

A hesitant smile spread across the omega’s lips, “I hope…you won’t think of me too differently…” 

Bokuto nuzzled him again for reassurance, telling him there was no way that could happen. 

Of course, once they got in, and nearly walked right into an upside-down omega fanning his legs wide open in front of Bokuto’s face— even the alpha was thrown for a loop. 

Everyone in the room seemed to pause, turning over to look at Akaashi, and the scent of alpha that he brought with him. 

The omega with his legs split open let out sharp _Akaashi!_ letting his legs flip around over his head so that he was right side up. He brushed himself off rather carelessly, before running up to them, and that seemed to be everyone else’s cue to go back to whatever it was they were doing. 

“Is this him?” 

Akaashi nodded, introducing his friend and boyfriend. “Bokuto,” he said, “This is Terushima. Terushima, Bokuto.” 

Each gave a respectable little bow, saying it was nice to meet the other. It was a bit of a shock. And even though Bokuto was definitely willing to accept any and all of Akaashi, he still never would’ve thought that the omega might have a friend like this. What with the bleached hair, and the blunt boldness, and…

Was that a tongue piercing?

“So what do you think of my place,” Terushima said proudly, crossing his arms over his shoulders as he looked around. 

The alpha’s eyes widened, “You’re the owner?” 

“Terushima takes lesson but sometimes the instructors ask him to help with the beginning sections.” Akaashi provided.

The omega waved his hands, “Technicalities. It’s all in good fun. Maybe one day I’ll be able to take over. But!” He clapped his hands, laughing, almost, before sharpening his gaze at the alpha, “Have you ever been to a strip club?”

Bokuto stiffened, not knowing where the hell that had come from. 

“Teru—“

“No, no,” Terushima waved his friend off, “Let him answer.” 

Bokuto swallowed awkwardly, before clearing his throat, “Um…not particularly a strip club. But I have been to bars where…entertainment…”

“And what did you think of the entertainment?” 

Bokuto thought a moment, not really sure if there was even a right answer to that kind of question. “They’re…uh…good at what they do?” 

“Do you think that’s all they’re good at?”

At this, Akaashi yanked at his friend, murmuring something along the lines of _that’s enough._

Almost immediately, there was a complete turn-around. “Sorry, sorry,” he feigned friendliness once again, “It’s just that this guy’s last alpha was a complete asshole,” he smiled the kind of smile that was more scary than anything else, “And I haven’t really seen anything that disqualifies you from that same category.” 

Akaashi opened his mouth to protest, but Bokuto stepped up, his voice dropping and his overall presence seeming to spread out over the two omegas. 

“I would never disrespect Akaashi.” 

The tension didn’t even have the time to fully form, from the way Terushima clapped his hands, his eyes lighting up all the while. “Ahh, you were right Akaashi!” 

“I—”

“Mmm he’s a lot like Ushi. I like him.” 

“He’s nothing like—”

“Ok, Mr. Alpha-sama,” Terushima guided Bokuto towards the door, “We’d love to have you stay, but our session is about to start, and it’s omegas only.” 

“That’s fine but—“

“Have a safe trip home now—”

Terushima was yanked away, Akaashi giving a low kind of snarl that turned Bokuto on probably more than it should have. But any and all previous thoughts were wiped away when the omega stood on his tip-toes to nuzzle the alpha. “Thank you for coming,” he said quickly, scanning Bokuto’s face with a certain amount of anxiety that Bokuto didn’t want him to have. So he nuzzled him right back, reassuring him as best he could, making sure to leave the omega heavy with his scent. “Have fun today.” 

Akaashi nodded, “I will.” 

“You sure you don’t want me to pick you up?” 

Akaashi smiled shyly, shaking his head, “Thank you. But Terushima said he wanted to take me home.” 

Bokuto nodded understandingly, even if he would have preferred to pick the omega up. But he knew he had to be careful with first time meetings like these, because things had a horrible tendency of not going the way he ever expected them to. Which reminded him.

“Oh, Tooru said he’d stop by around three or four.” 

Akaashi nodded, smiling pleasantly, and with that, Bokuto was kicked out of the studio. 

On his way to the way to the elevator, Bokuto pulled out his phone, sending a quick message to Tooru. He was supposed to go apologize to Akaashi today. Properly, that is. And he didn’t want Tooru to accidentally “forget.” 

He got a rather nasty reply as a result, Tooru saying that he was a full-grown adult and he could handle things on his own without Bokuto reminding him. 

Back inside studio, Terushima was bubbling, talking Akaashi’s ear off while Akaashi would have much preferred to just focus on the music, and how to polish his movements so that they’d be received as close to as graceful as he could manage. 

“But he’s pretty built, you know? I pictured him more gangly.”

“When did I ever say he was gangly?”

“You didn’t. But the way you described him was so sweet I thought there’s no way this guy isn’t some holed up otaku who’s never seen the sun.” 

“I appreciate you having so much faith in me, Yuuji.”

They were yelled at by the instructor, so the conversation was put on a temporary hold, at least until the lesson was over, and Akaashi couldn’t have been more grateful. Because these lessons were the only real time he had to let everything go. To not think of anything except the movement of his body, to focus on one single thing that made him feel like he was in control. 

Granted, baking had that effect too. But ever since opening his own little shop, the stress that came with the work simply overpowered the freedom he used to feel. 

And dancing like this did something that baking could never give him. It was his heart racing in time to the music. It was the sweat down his back, and the strain in his arms and the burning in his legs and the rush in his blood every time he pushed himself just a _little_ more, trying to make it just a _bit_ better, until he got his spins down to absolute perfection. 

Of course, the omega would be lying if he said his mind didn’t wander towards a particular salt-and-pepper-haired alpha. The more times they ran the routine, the more Akaashi couldn’t help but think that he wanted Bokuto to watch. 

But that was a dangerous sort of thing to think about. And not conducive to the proper breathing needed for a routine like this. So as best he could, Akaashi tried to focus on his movements, rather than the alpha. 

At least until the lesson was over, that is. 

There was a small locker room in the far corner of the space, where they could change and make use of the showers provided. Terushima was always one of the first to claim the few showers that were available, but Akaashi never found himself so lucky, always stuck at third or fourth in line. By the time he was done with his shower, Terushima was sitting crossed legged against the mirrored wall, playing around with his phone. 

Akaashi thanked him for waiting. 

“Ready to go?” 

“Mm,” he nodded, helping Terushima up and then walking down to the elevator together, talking idly about the lesson as they made their way out onto the street. No sooner had they done so, that a black car with tinted windows pulling up beside them. 

A man with a suit walked around the car, holding the door open and nodding respectfully to both Terushima and Akaashi. 

“How was your lesson, Sir?” 

“Very good Hanzo,” Teru beamed, stepping into the car, “You can report back that I’m quite content.” 

“Boss will be happy to hear that, Sir.” 

Terushima hummed, sliding over in the backseat so that Akaashi had room to come in.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” Akaashi said, Hanzo closing the door behind him. 

Terushima shrugged, “It’s just a thing.” 

“Still,” Akaashi said, “Calling you _sir,_ being driving around in a car like this—“

“Well the _sir_ thing will change once we’re officially married.” 

Akaashi scoffed, “It’ll be Onee-san then, won’t it?”

Teru clicked his tongue, scrunching up his nose. “You’re so annoying. Just indulge in the fact that you are the best friend of the future husband of Ushijima Wakatoshi and you get to ride around in fancy cars with me.” 

“Indulging has never been something you’ve had issues with.” 

The omega laughed at that, agreeing that it was true. “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to talk! We definitely have to meet up for tea or shopping or something.” 

“Well we’ve both been busy,” Akaashi added, “All of your wedding preparations—”

Terushima gave an eyeroll that said everything for him, “I’m so over it. And this fucking tattoo hurts like a bitch. It’s already been two weeks and I swear it still stings.” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened, “Have they finished it yet?” 

Terushima shook his head, “I have one more session. Thank god I was able to do it in pieces. I’m pretty sure the old-fashioned way would’ve killed me.” He looked out the window, seemingly lost in thought from the way he cupped his chin, leaning against the glass. “But if it’s for Ushi…then it’s fine I guess.” 

“You’ve been saying that a lot, lately.” Akaashi teased. 

“Oh please,” Terushima took on the challenge, “Like everything to come out of your mouth hasn’t been _Bokuto-san this,_ and _Bokuto-san that._ And _oh,_ _his friend calls him ‘Kou’ do you think I could too— Teru I just want to suck his dick—”_

Akaashi let out a little screech of a sound, smacking his friend on the arm, “I did _not_ say that—”

“You did,” Terushima stuck his tongue out rather vulgarly, making motions with his hands, “You want those big alpha balls in your mouth—”

Akaashi covered the omega’s mouth with his hands, stopping him from saying anything more. “Stop talking—”

“Er wernt—”

“And while we’re on the subject I don’t appreciate the way you talked to him today.”

Terushima pulled Akaashi’s hands away, “I don’t appreciate you dating pieces of shit of all the time.” 

“Bokuto is different—”

“He seems like it. But you need to be more careful—”

“I am—”

“Because getting drunk and letting him take you home is careful—”

“Nothing happened—”

“Nothing _did_ happen Keij. But that doesn’t make him some sort of saint—”

“I don’t wanna hear that from the one about to marry into—”

“We’re not talking about me though~” he wagged his finger, “And all things considered, your track record is way worse than mine.” 

Akaashi rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking out the window, “I think we’re just about even with that.” 

Terushima sighed, not letting Akaashi pout. Because even though his face was as deadpanned as ever, Teru could tell that the omega was pouting. “Ok. Tell me all the good things about him.” 

Akaashi acted somewhat reluctant, but gave in anyway, telling Terushima all about their most recent date. 

It didn’t take very long to get to Akaashi’s house, at least in the sense that the conversation was engagingly exciting. It’d been a long time since Akaashi had been able to brag about an alpha. Still, they were forced to part, Akaashi stepping out of the car, Hanzo both opening and closing the door for him.

Before leaving though, Terushima popped his head out the window, and made Akaashi promise that they’d meet up later to go shopping, because he needed new shoes anyway. Akaashi told him to just send a message, because things were starting to pick up at the bakery. 

“Don’t go acting all high and mighty just cuz you got a new alpha!” Terushima called, but before Akaashi could give any sort of reply, he’d already ordered Hanzo to go, rolling the window up and driving away. 

Shaking his head, Akaashi made the climb up to his own apartment, thinking it wouldn’t be long before Oikawa arrived. So to keep himself busy, he rearranged a few things in the kitchen, and made his bed, since he’d neglected doing it that morning. Rather pointless, considering it would only be a few hours until he had to undo it again, but Akaashi felt better knowing everything was in its place. 

He’d just finished putting the pillows on the bed when the doorbell rang. Making his way to the front of the apartment, he opened the door, entirely unsurprised to find Tooru staring back at him. What _did_ surprise him though, was the fact that he’d decided to bring Eiji along as well. 

“Sorry,” Tooru spoke first, “I didn’t have anyone to watch him—but he’ll be quiet.” He gave a warm smile, placing his hand on top of his son’s head. 

“Hello, Mr. Akaashi!” Eiji said loudly, looking up at him with wide eyes. 

Akaashi smiled at them both, welcoming them inside. He watched as the fellow omega bent down, helping his son out of his shoes. 

Once that was done, Oikawa presented Akaashi with a small box of sweets from some big name bakery that was famous for its cookies. 

“I hope you like chocolate chip,” Oikawa said with a smile, “Kou said—”

“We made them!” 

Oikawa let out a small, frustrated sigh, “No, Eiji, we bought these. I thought I told you it was rude to interrupt.” 

“But Mr. Akaashi will like them better if we made them.” 

“But we _didn’t_ make them sweetheart.” 

“We went under the station!” Eiji began excitedly, speaking directly to Akaashi, “And there were so many stuff but we bought the cookies and Mommy even—”

“ _Eiji.”_

The young alpha bit his lip, hushing up and apologizing under his breath rather reluctantly. Oikawa bent down to nuzzle him— to avoid future pouting, Akaashi guessed— and then handed him a phone, upon which the little alpha’s eyes lit up immediately, unlocking it expertly and finding his way to his favorite app. 

“He can sit on the couch,” Akaashi told Oikawa, “Please make yourselves comfortable.” 

“I just wanted to clear any bad air between us,” Oikawa said, “And not just because Bokuto told me to. Trust me, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.” 

Akaashi nodded, “I believe you.” 

“At the same time, though,” Oikawa continued, “Part of that night was my fault. As a fellow omega I’m honestly a bit ashamed. And I apologize for pushing you into a corner, but I will admit that it was my exact intention to do so.” 

Akaashi let that all sink in, nodding his head calmly. “I think I understood well enough what you were trying to do.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened, “Then why’d you order alcohol?” 

A sideways smirk rested easily on Akaashi’s lips, “I think I’d like to know that myself. Would you like any tea?” 

“Just water would be good, thank you.” 

“And for your son?” 

Oikawa looked over, noting that his son was lost in his game, and shook his head at Akaashi. “I think he’ll be fine. Thank you.” 

When he came back with the drinks, Oikawa thanked him one more time, saying that he had a lovely home and began trying to make light conversation. Naturally, the conversation shifted its way towards Bokuto, seeing as he was what the two omegas had in common. 

“Originally I thought you two were brothers. He refers to Eiji as his nephew, and he’s quite protective—”

“Bokuto’s fiercely loyal,” Oikawa explained, “It’s actually gotten him in trouble before…”

“Mm,” the omega nodded in understanding, “He was telling me about his ex-fiance.” 

Oikawa’s head jerked up, shock very much apparent in his eyes, “He told you about that?” 

Oikawa’s shock made Akaashi somewhat shocked in result, “Is that strange?” He asked. 

Smiling, Oikawa shook his head, and took another sip of water, “No. It’s just one more thing that proves how much he likes you.” 

His cheeks brightened upon Oikawa saying so, Akaashi saying it wasn’t really all that, and tok a somewhat shy sip of his own water. “I want to cherish him too, in my own way.” 

Oikawa gave a warm smile. That was something he could tell even without Akaashi saying so. “Well, not that you needed it, but you have my blessing.” 

“I know you’re both very dear to each other. I’d like to start over, if possible. What happened at the restaurant was under the worst of circumstances. I won’t hold it against you if you don’t against me.” 

Oikawa nodded, smiling again, “I think starting over sounds like a good idea.” 

Akaashi gave a firm nod in return, before Oikawa set his cup down, letting the glass sound against the table. 

“I do have one question though.”

“I’m sure I can guess what it is.” 

Oikawa laughed, “Is it fun? I mean it looks hard—I’m not judging you for it, trust me— but like for pole dancing your upper body strength must be insane—”

“It takes a bit. I’m rather light so it’s easier to hold up my own weight.”

“That makes sense. And you get a real workout too, right?”

Akaashi smiled slyly. “Would you like to join me next week?” 

Oikawa waved his hand, chuckling nervously, “No, no. I’m way too busy.” 

“It’s good stress relief.” 

“The most exercise I do is carry Eiji up the stairs when he falls asleep on the couch. Andthat’s not even on a daily basis. I’ve fallen far too deep into the mom zone for that kind of exertion.” 

“I think you could do it,” Akaashi put his chin in his palm pensively, “With your shape it’d be rather beautiful to watch.” 

Oikawa openly laughed at that, “Someone tall like me? That’d be gross.” 

“Quite the opposite. Long legs like yours would be completely mesmerizing.” 

Again, Oikawa shook his hands, “No, no. Thank you, but I’ll have to pass.” 

“Mommy?” 

Both omegas turned to face the little alpha, who had curled himself up against the corner of the couch. 

“Yes, Ei-chan?” 

“I’m hungry.” 

“Ok sweetheart, we’re leaving soon.” 

“Oh,” Akaashi began, “Don’t let me keep you—”

“Sorry,” Oikawa breathed, lowering his voice, “He gets fussy—” 

Nodding in understanding, Akaashi hummed. “It’s fine. I believe we said what needed to be said anyway.” 

Oikawa grinned, happy the other omega agreed. “I think so too.” 

Akaashi walked them to the door, upon which Oikawa had to help Eiji into his shoes again, despite the fact that they were only velcro. Still kneeling to help his son, Oikawa gave a little smirk, before calling out Eiji’s name. 

“Wasn’t there something you wanted to ask Mr. Akaashi?” 

The little alpha gave a large gasp, as if only having remembered just then, turning to Akaashi like they were on some sort of time limit. “Mr. Akaashi!!” 

The omega couldn’t help the small giggle that managed its way past his lips. “Yes, Eiji?” 

“Um,” he seemed shy, suddenly, shifting from one foot to another, running the sentence through in his head before saying out loud, “I wanted to please ask you, if you would like to come to my birthday party next weekend?” Immediately after saying so he looked to his mother, seeking approval and praise for his long-worded sentence. 

Akaashi’s smile only widened, “I would love to, Eiji.” 

The young alpha tugged excitedly on his mother’s pants, as if the purpose of this visit had now been accomplished, and it was enough for Oikawa to laugh too, before thanking Akaashi again for allowing him to visit. 

Goodbyes were said, and Akaashi closed the door with a warm feeling spreading in his chest. He could see why Bokuto was so fond of his friend. And that little alpha son he had was truly something else. It almost made Akaashi want to birth his own pups.

Which was an interesting sort of thought, since children had never been something Akaashi had ever really considered in the past. Pups were something tied to bonds, and Akaashi hadn’t ever been given the chance to consider a bond with his previous alphas, let alone discuss the future possibility of pups. 

But, Bokuto seemed like the kind to want to bond, and to form a family. And as early on as they were in their relationship, there was something strangely comforting about it. More and more, the alpha was becoming someone the omega could rely on. 

And without even really realizing, that was something that made Akaashi smile in the best of ways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, let me take a moment to thank my wife Cel for making me write this story in the first place, because it's really thanks to her that I got enough motivation to start the first chapter. So I gotta give credit where credit is due. Love you bby <3
> 
> Ok so, hey. It's midterm season haha...murder me ;D Just a few clarifications. Iwa's past is not exciting and I won't be going into it. He's a pack leader, and as I've mentioned in the story, it causes him to have a stronger scent, and he can even make unwilling omega's submit. So, in middle school (I thought this was obvious) he went through puberty, and had to learn to deal with it. That's really all there is to it. So please stop asking lol. Although I'm happy you guys are getting all into the story X3. Also Terushima might be popping in here and there but his background doesn't matter either, and neither does his relationship with Ushijima. I just like adding everyday life kind of details. Although I hope you can figure out what kind of family Terushima is getting into. Idk how much more I can spell it out without stating it explicitly. But either way it doesn't matter so don't ask too much about him either. Ugh one day I'll give that pairing the story they deserve. Anywayssssss. Let me know what you think of the chapter! ^o^ Hopefully someone will be getting fucked by chapter 15 but who knows cuz I'm always adding more chapters lol. Also if you only comment on the fact that you're excited for the future sex and ignore the 3000+ words I busted my ass to complete this week despite looming tests then fuck you. Enjoy and don't forget to comment~~


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! My friend drew Eiji! Go look at him [HERE](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/166406876168/cool-toru-i-drew-a-lil-eiji-for)

“I think he’ll like it,” Akaashi said encouragingly, as they came out of the underground, squinting a bit when the light hit his eyes. 

“It’s not Eiji I’m worried about,” Bokuto gave a weak sort of laugh, leading Akaashi through the crowd. 

Akaashi’s eyes widened, “Oikawa?” 

“He kinda sorta specifically told me not to do this.” 

The omega laughed, hooking his arm around Bokuto’s, “You’re that one uncle that’s always ready to spoil.” 

“Oh, like Oikawa doesn’t spoil him—”

“Still, tickets to Disney—”

“I think it’ll be good for them!” 

Akaashi hummed, stopping at the corner, waiting for the light to change. “Yes, I suppose a whole day at Disneyland would be good mother-son bonding.” 

Bokuto made a strange sort of face that was a cross between a pained smile and a guilty knitting of his brows. 

Akaashi deadpanned. “What did you do?” 

“Nothing! It’s just I kinda figured…Iwaizumi would wanna go too…”

“Bo _ku_ to—”

“I know he’s gonna kill me—”

Akaashi openly laughed, leaning into the alpha. “I think those two get along rather well.” 

“Right?? Iwaizumi was kinda weird at first but he’s a good guy I think.” 

“Weird?”

Bokuto shook his head, “I’ll tell you about it later.” By now they’d made it to the rows of apartments, and he motioned for Akaashi to head up the stairs first, despite the fact that there was enough room for them to walk side by side. 

When they got to the third floor, Bokuto took Akaashi’s hand again, rubbing his thumb over the top of the omega’s, stepping forward to ring the doorbell to Tooru’s apartment.

Eiji was the one to open the door, much to Bokuto’s surprise. 

Immediately, his face broke into a grin. “Hey there, Birthday Boy!”

Eiji gasped, ignoring Bokuto entirely, “Mr. Akaashi! You came!” 

Akaashi giggled at that, bending down slightly to be closer to eye level, “Happy birthday, Eiji.” 

At that the young alpha finally seemed to notice his uncle, looking him up and down, as if he were inspecting him. Seemingly unsatisfied, Eiji cocked his head to the side, “Where’s my present?” 

“Eiji!!” Oikawa finally came out from the kitchen, a scolding expression on his face, “You _don’t—“_

Bokuto just laughed it off, waving his hand, “It’s fine—”

“We did bring doughnuts,” Akaashi smiled, holding up his box, “Hand made by yours truly.”

Oikawa took the box gratefully, smiling, “We’re going to have food for the next year—”

“Mommy! I want a doughnut!”

“Once everyone gets here—“

“But it’s my birthday—”

_“Eiji.”_

He pouted, but scurried off regardless, Oikawa showing Bokuto and Akaashi into the kitchen, where his parents were cooking. 

“He gets really entitled when his birthday rolls around.” Oikawa explained to the fellow omega.

“As he should be! Birthday only comes once a year you know,” Fumi was in the kitchen, shaping rice into triangles.

Tooru sighed, setting the box of doughnuts down on the counter, “It’s just a bunch of kids from the daycare mom, you don’t have to make this much—”

“Nonsense. Children eat like gremlins,” she finished wrapping an onigiri, adding it to her growing pile, before turning her attention to her husband. “Sweetheart, make sure you stir the rice—“

“I know how to make fried rice, love.” Mamoru smiled kindly, but stirred fried rice regardless, just like his wife said. “Are those doughnuts?” 

“Yes,” Oikawa said, “Akaashi made them—ah, Akaashi, these are my parents,” he took a moment to introduce everyone, the couples getting acquainted with one another. Tooru’s father took the opportunity to sneak a doughnut. 

“Aren’t you a skinny little thing?” Fumi praised, beaming at Akaashi, “I used to look just like that when I was your age. Didn’t I Mamoru?”

“Even skinnier, love,” he replied almost automatically, taking a bite of his doughnut. 

“Mamoru! Those were for after—”

“I doubt anyone will notice,” he said with a soft smile, taking another bite.

“Mom, it’s fine—“

“If grandpa gets a doughnut how come I can’t have a doughnut—”

“You won’t eat the food Eiji—”

“I will—”

The doorbell rang, adding further to the commotion. 

Fumi’s head perked up, “Isn’t it still early?”

“The invitations said two…” Oikawa began walking to the door, an excited Eiji at his heels, “Who shows up thirty minutes early…” he mumbled the rest, not wanting his son to hear anything _too_ foul. 

Of course it was the parent/child combo he disliked the most. 

The door opened to a blonde woman with fake lips, her young alpha daughter at her side. “Sorry we’re a bit early! Amber couldn’t _wait_ to get here!” 

Oikawa flashed the best fake smile he had to offer, “We’re glad to have you. Please, come in.” 

“I wanted my husband to come as well, but he’s so dreadfully busy. You Japanese are always so dedicated to your work!” 

Oikawa kept his smile, “Yes, I imagine the work ethic is different in America.” He didn’t really want to say anything more, and so, he turned his attention to Eiji instead, who was asking if he could open the present Amber had gotten him. 

“No,” he said tenderly, “But we can set up a pile and then open them all together once everyone gets here.” 

Eiji seemed to like that idea, because he went around the house trying to figure out where best to start the pile. Amber followed him around all the while, sticking to his heels like a suction cup. With blonde hair and a loud voice that matched her mother’s, it was hard to believe this girl was half Japanese. 

One by one the kids kept piling in, each one accompanied by a parent that joined the party as well. The more people that rang his doorbell, the more Oikawa regretted not providing any sort of alcohol for the adults. Because more than anything else, right now, he needed a glass of wine. 

There was one mom, however, that Tooru got along with rather easily. She went by Sakura— beautiful like the name implied— a short, female omega with an alpha son, who Eiji often had playdates with. Oikawa always enjoyed talking to her, because as mothers to rambunctious little alphas, they usually experienced the same sort of things. 

“Kento is in his climbing stage,” Sakura explained, sipping on soda.

Oikawa looked at her with a bit of terror in his eyes, “Do I even _want_ to know what that is?” 

She shook her head, giving out a tired sigh, “Just watch out for it, because I get the feeling Eiji won’t be too far behind.” 

“But what does he do? Climb the furniture?”

“Furniture, walls, trees, ladders. Anything he can find. Worst was yesterday. He climbed halfway up a tree, and then tried to jump _off._ ” 

Oikawa gave a sharp gasp, “Oh god…”

“I thought he’d broken his arm!” The anxiety in her voice was apparent, but she let out another sigh, “Thank god for this party. I told him if he didn’t stop climbing, I wouldn’t bring him.” 

Oikawa poured his own soda, clinking his plastic cup against hers, “Amen to that.” 

“Boys will be boys,” an alpha father came into the kitchen, refilling his juice, “Especially since the both of you are unlucky enough to have alphas.” 

“Thank you, Rei,” Sakura said, “For pointing out our already obvious misfortune.” 

Rei chuckled at that, taking a swig of apple juice, “Stop holing yourselves up in the kitchen you cowards. Go out onto the battlefield like the rest of us.”

“We’re just taking the opportunity to talk.” 

“It’s a war zone out there,” Sakura added, giggling to herself, “I’d much rather stay in here.”

“Anything that involves that blonde woman is a war zone,” Rei murmured, but quickly moved on, “Bokuto is as entertaining as always.” 

Oikawa nodded, showing off a proud smile, “He’s really good with kids.” 

“Maybe he’ll have a few of his own soon? Glad to see he found himself a good omega.” 

“Akaashi’s really nice,” Oikawa added, “But I think it’s too soon to be thinking about that sort of thing—”

Sakura shook her head, “Rei is always on it with the baby fever—”

There was a happy _scream_ that came from the living room, from whatever game the kids were playing, and the company gathered in the kitchen figured it’d be best to head out and join the rest of the party. 

It wasn’t long before Oikawa was sequestered into a corner though, Amber’s mom talking his ear off. 

“Won’t he be coming? I find it so strange that the alpha you’re dating won’t show up to Eiji’s party. He _does_ realize the responsibility of taking care of a child, doesn’t he?” 

It took everything he had for Oikawa’s eye to not twitch. “He’s just running a little late. It happens to everyone.” 

“Oh gosh,” she puckered her fake lips, “That’s not very reliable, is it?” 

As if on cue, the doorbell rang again, and Oikawa muttered a silent _thank you_ for the distraction, heading over to the door and getting away from the crowd. 

When he opened the door, Iwa was standing there, present in hand, wearing full on work attire. Oikawa swallowed. If he hadn’t noticed Iwa’s scent before, he certainly did now. If anything, his glands were begging for attention, simply by having the alpha in his presence. But that may have just been because Iwa was wearing a suit.

Iwa looked good in a suit. 

“Sorry I’m a bit late,” the alpha said, “Work—”

Oikawa shook his head, trying to focus “Don’t worry about it. Come in,” he held the door open, motioning Iwa inside. 

The moment he did, all attention turned to them. Oikawa didn’t even have time to give Iwa a basic run-through. 

First were Oikawa’s parents, who said it was nice to see him again. Then a bunch of the other parents tried to introduce themselves to the alpha, and Akaashi was there too, saying that Bokuto would come greet him soon, but he was currently occupied with the kids who were trying to climb on his back. 

It was, in a word, overwhelming.

But everything was interrupted rather quickly, because Eiji came barging through, breaking up the adults, so that he could give his greetings to _Mr. Iwa._

Iwa wished him a happy birthday, and handed him his present, upon which Eiji screeched with excitement and ran back out, putting it on the pile before rejoining his friends. Oikawa yelled at him to keep it down, but that just didn’t seem to be working today. 

“Let me get you a drink,” Oikawa offered politely with a fake smile, practically dragging Iwa into the kitchen, and by the grace of god no one followed. 

“Rough day?” Iwa said, once they were out of earshot of everyone else.

“I need wine.”

He burst out laughing at that, and Oikawa’s own expression softened, because there was just something really nice about that. 

“Ok so real quick,” he pulled the alpha to the corner of the kitchen, where they could look into the living room without being seen themselves, “Brown, medium length hair. That’s Sakura. She’s cool. Has a son Eiji’s age. Those two over there have an omega daughter. Super overprotective. That one’s Rei. He’s chill. Makes good salmon but it’s the only thing he knows how to cook. Blonde one over there—”

“I don’t like her—”

“I didn’t even say anything,” Oikawa smirked.

Iwa smirked right back, “You didn’t really have to.” 

The omega licked his lips, trying to hide his smile, “Ok, and that guy—blue shirt—I don’t really know much about that guy but he’s eaten like half the fried rice already and I _don’t_ appreciate it.” 

Iwa laughed again, shaking his head, “Sounds like you’ve had a hell of a day.”

“You wouldn’t believe,” he sighed, rolling his eyes and leaning against the counter, “And Kou’s _gift_ is an envelope. I don’t even want to _know_ what’s in it.” 

“I’m gonna guess tickets to a baseball game?” 

Oikawa shrugged, “I have no idea. If he spent more than 10000yen though he’s gonna get a whooping.” 

They weren’t allowed to hide out in the kitchen for much longer, everyone wanting to meet the new alpha. 

“This guy always said dating wasn’t for him—”

“We were all pretty surprised—”

“Most eligible omega at the daycare!” 

They were the sort of phrases Oikawa hated the most, but he gave it a pass since everyone seemed to be laughing and chatting and just having a good time. Eventually, the kids gave Bokuto enough freedom to join in on the adult conversations as well. Oikawa didn’t miss the way he hooked his arm around Akaashi’s waist, always holding the omega close to his side. 

It was sweet.

The party continued on with lots of conversations from the adults, half of which Oikawa didn’t care for, and the kids engaged in all sorts of make-believe things the way children usually do. They even managed to fit in a few rounds of dancing thanks to the video-game system Oikawa says he installed for Eiji but really just bought for himself. And it was all fine and well, until the kids began to complain about hunger. 

And a bunch of hungry four year olds was _not_ something he wanted to deal with.

Luckily, Oikawa’s mom helped bring out the food, serving the kids first and then moving on to the adults. Any and everything was used as a table and chairs. Most of the kids chose to sit on the ground picnic style, while the parents made use of the dinner table. Eiji wanted to sit next to Akaashi, so he settled himself right between the omega and his uncle, who were sitting on the couch. 

Eiji nuzzled in happily, much to Bokuto’s irritation, but the alpha let it slide, because Eiji was only four, after all. 

How ridiculous would it be to be jealous of a four year old?

Eiji was bragging about one thing or another while they ate, Bokuto teasing him a bit for it, the two alphas getting into a small argument that ended in laughter. Akaashi laughed at them both, saying he might just confuse Bokuto for being a four-year-old as well. Bokuto didn’t mind so much, though, because if it meant Akaashi was smiling then anything was fine, as far as he was concerned. 

Eiji was giggling happily, swinging his legs and taking proper bites of his food after Oikawa yelled at him to chew with his mouth _closed._ For a moment, Eiji thought that his mom was really embarrassing. 

But he didn’t dwell on it much, because Eiji was always moving on to new things rather quickly.

“Mr. Akaashi,” he said suddenly, excitedly, “Say _ahhh_!!” The young alpha offered a spoonful of rice to the omega, holding his own mouth open as if to show Akaashi what to do. 

“Thank you, Eiji. But that food is all yours. Please enjoy it to the fullest,” Akaashi declined him politely, in a soothing tone. 

Eiji considered that for a moment, before shrugging and shoving the spoon into his own mouth.It continued like that for a bit, Bokuto thinking that he was being purposely ignored, especially when Eiji made a big show of showing how tired he was, saying he wanted to sleep on Akaashi. 

The young alpha yawned, stretching out his arms in exaggeration, and leaned into the omega. 

It was _definitely_ ridiculous to be jealous of a four-year-old…

Right?

“Oy,” Bokuto barked, “Don’t lean on people so casually—”

Akaashi chuckled, holding his hand up to Bokuto, “It’s quite alright. He’s the birthday boy, after all.” The omega went so far as to rub Eiji’s arm.

Eiji looked at his uncle, making a face and sticking tongue out. Bokuto nearly cracked.

Little devil. 

He excused himself, because Bokuto thought he might just say something he’d regret, so with the excuse to get more rice, he headed into the kitchen, where Tooru was cutting the cake. 

“Need some help?” 

“I think I’ve got it for now—uh, plates—”

Bokuto reached for them, handing Oikawa a spare to put the slice he’d just cut. 

“So,” Bokuto cleared his throat, which caused Oikawa to look at him, lifting an eyebrow. 

“What?”

“I’ll challenge your son, if need be.” 

Oikawa snorted, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Your kid is making a move on my mate,” Bokuto stole a piece of cake, “I won’t stand for it.” 

Oikawa raised his brow again, looking at Bokuto smugly, “Your _mate,_ huh?” 

Bokuto reddened, realizing what he’d said, “Not—! Not like that! We haven’t—I just meant—”

“Relax. There’s children around.” 

“You relax,” Bokuto shot back, rather weakly. 

Oikawa rolled his eyes, “Eiji is _four._ And besides, Akaashi is just his type.” 

“Eiji has a _type?_ What’s that supposed to mean?” Bokuto garbled, his face full of cake.

Oikawa smacked his hands, chastising him for eating before they even brought it out, “Would you quit it??” 

“Aren’t they supposed to sing happy birthday _before_ you cut the cake?” 

Oikawa stopped his motions, knife in midair. 

_“Fuck.”_

“Language!” 

Oikawa scrambled around the kitchen, rummaging through the drawers for some candles, “I’ll just put it on his slice—”

“Now _you’re_ the one who needs to relax,” Bokuto teased. 

“How the absolute _heck_ did I forget to—”

“Hey, come on,” Bokuto encouraged, helping him with the candles, “It’s ok, you know Eiji won’t mind. If you just put the candles on his slice he won’t even notice.” 

Oikawa groaned, looking for a lighter and asking Bokuto to help him carry the slices out. 

“Mom! Iwa!” The omega scurried, not wanting to ruin the most important part of his son’s birthday. 

They helped passed out the slices of cake, Oikawa calling everyone to the table so that they could sing happy birthday. He placed the biggest slice with the four candles on it in front of Eiji taking the moment to make a big show of lighting the candles. Bokuto was the one to start off the song, and soon enough everyone else chirped in, until Eiji took a big breath and blew out his candles. Everyone cheered, a few bits of clapping sprinkled in, Oikawa leaning in and nuzzling his son, squeezing him and offering a very sweet _happy birthday._

Soon enough everyone was digging in, and Oikawa went back to the kitchen to bring out more juice and refreshments. 

Finally, for the first time all evening, Oikawa found himself sitting next to Iwa. But by the time he actually sat down, what with making sure everyone got a slice of cake, and the refilling of drinks, and insisting that _yes after cake they’d open presents,_ almost everyone had already finished their dessert. Without really meaning to, he let out a long sigh, leaning into the alpha. 

“Have some cake,” Iwa said between chews, offering his fork up to Oikawa, “You’ll feel better.” 

Oikawa shook his head, scrunching up his features, “I don’t like sweet things.” 

Iwa looked at him blankly, waving the fork around in front of his face. 

Oikawa gave a short little growl, before biting down on the plastic fork and taking the piece of cake Iwa was offering. 

The alpha gave a satisfied sort of smile at that, and Oikawa sucked in his lips to hide his smile, shaking his head. 

“How sweet,” Mamoru’s voice cut through the moment, Oikawa turning his head to see his father smiling at them. “You two make a fine couple indeed.” 

_“Dad,”_ Oikawa groaned, but he didn’t get to finish, because the doorbell rang _again,_ and Tooru had to get up to answer it. 

With tired feet he shuffled to the door, opening it up to reveal a young male omega with tired eyes hidden behind glasses, his omega son by his side.

“I’m sorry we’re so late. His piano lessons—”

“It’s ok. We just cut the cake, I think there’s still a bit left if you or your son would like—”

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” the omega was soft spoken, touching his son lightly, “Doesn’t cake sound good, Shinji?” 

Shinji was a small boy, a mop of curly black hair claiming the top of his head, graced with sharp eyes that were softened by the magnification of round glasses far too large for his face.

If a comparison had to be made, one might say he looked like a young Akaashi Keiji. 

The boy’s mother was rather similar, a timid omega who continued to adjust his eyeglasses out of nervous habit. They weren’t allowed to talk for very long however, because Eiji soon joined them in the entryway. 

“Shinji!! You made it!! We’re gonna open presents!” 

The little boy blushed, lowering his head, and clutching the wrapped present to his chest, “Happy Birthday, Eiji.” He looked at the young alpha, before offering the gift shyly. 

“Thanks! You can come sit next to me while I open ‘em!” He grabbed the omega by the hand, dragging him into the party, where everyone else was waiting. 

“Eiji!” Oikawa called, “Not so rough!” 

He turned to the mother, “I’m sorry, Eiji gets excited—”

The man shook his hands, “It’s quite alright. He’s as boisterous as you’d expect a young alpha to be,” he smiled kindly. 

Oikawa nodded in appreciation, “I don’t think I ever got your name,” 

“Shou. Yamamoto Shou.” 

They shook hands, the parents making it quick so that they could join everyone else for presents. 

Eiji plopped them down right smack in the middle of the living room, putting Shinji’s present down carefully by his side. “I’ll open yours last, ok?” 

“It’s not very special…” 

“Shinji,” Amber came in, sitting opposite them with a bit of a bite in her tone, “ _I_ was sitting next to Eiji.” 

“Oh. Sor—”

“Yeah, but Shinji’s sitting here now.” Eiji bit back just as sharply, throwing his arm in front of Shinji protectively, as if to block Amber from getting any closer.

“But I—” 

“Mommy! Can I open them??” 

Oikawa gave his approval, and Eiji greedily grabbed for the pile of presents, Amber left mumbling to herself as she sat with the rest of the kids, opposite Eiji and Shinji. 

The very first present Eiji grabbed happened to be Iwa’s, which upon opening, was revealed to be the Cars 3 Blu-Ray. 

“Wha—SUGEEEEEEE!! How did you _know_ Mr. Iwa??” 

Iwa chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest, “I took a wild guess.” 

The other parents joined in on the laughter, because everyone was aware of Eiji’s love of cars. 

Eiji tore his way through the rest of the presents, until his mom handed him Bokuto’s envelope, a card with tickets inside that Eiji couldn’t read. So he handed it back to his mom for help. 

Oikawa didn’t even get to read what the inside of the card said, because the tickets that fell into his lap nearly gave him an aneurism. 

“DISNEYLAND???” 

Bokuto held his hands up innocently, “It’ll be fun—“

“Bokuto Koutarou how much did this cost you—”

“Yes!!!” Eiji screamed, “Finally! Disneyland!” He jumped up, running over to hug his uncle, “You’re the _best_ Uncle Bokuto!!” 

Bokuto chuckled, hugging his nephew back, “It cost me the smile on this kid’s face right here.” 

While Oikawa pursed his lips, the rest of the adults _awwwed_ , the kids agreeing that it was indeed a very good present, a few of them going so far as to voice their jealousy. 

“That sounds like you’ll have a lot of fun, Eiji,” Shinji added quietly, giving an honest smile. 

Eiji gave a smile of his own, thanking him earnestly. But suddenly his eyes widened, and he gasped a bit, “I gotta open yours! It’s the last one!” 

This caused the young omega to curl into himself slightly, “It’s not that cool. Nothing beats Disneyland…” 

“I bet it’s awesome!” Eiji said confidently, tearing at the wrapping. 

All of his life, since the moment Eiji had been born, Oikawa had tried to read to the alpha, in an effort to create the whole ‘love of reading’ thing every guide to raising kids had ever mentioned. But no matter how much he tried, Eiji just had this horribly strong aversion to books that Oikawa couldn’t shake. 

So when Eiji finished unwrapping Shinji’s present, all he could do was suck in his teeth, and pray that Eiji’s disappointment wouldn’t show on his face. 

Eiji looked at the picture book, staring at it for a moment, and Oikawa wondered if he should step in to cause a distraction. 

“This!” Eiji held the book up, grinning from ear to ear, “This is the best present I’ve ever gotten!!” 

Oikawa nearly choked on his own spit. This was the same kid who not two moments before had received tickets to _Disneyland._

Part of Oikawa’s soul groaned, because if this was what Eiji was like _now…_

Heaven forbid the boy should ever reach high school. 

Little Shinji was blushing from ear to ear, shaking his head and saying it wasn’t all that much. Eiji shoved the book into Shinji’s lap, scooting over so that they were sitting even closer to each other, “Will ya read it to me?” 

Shinji nodded, still giving that embarrassed sort of smile as he opened the book, “It’s called _If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”_

“ _I_ can read it if you want, Eiji—”

“Shh, Amber! Can’t you see Shinji’s already reading it?” 

Over on the parents side of the room, Oikawa giggled to himself, leaning into Shinji’s mom, “I think my son has a crush on yours.” 

The man’s eye’s widened, “On Shinji? Eiji does?” 

“The boy doesn’t even notice,” Amber’s mother tittered, “I think Eiji and Amber would make a stronger pair, don’t you think Oikawa? Since they’re both alphas.” 

“Oh, I didn’t mean anything serious by it. They’re just kids,” Oikawa flashed another fake smile, “But I do think Eiji mentioned something about Amber being noisy the other day _.”_

Maybe it wasn’t the most upstanding thing in the world, but Oikawa reveled in satisfaction from the way the woman’s face soured when he said so. 

…

Cleanup had been a rather swift process, considering his mother had insisted on doing half of it, and then Bokuto jumping in, and Iwa refusing to be beaten, because the alphas all had a strange sort of competition going on, so once everyone was gone Oikawa sat down on the couch with Akaashi and his dad, the three of them sharing a glass of wine while _Cars 3_ blared on the television. 

“Did you let him buy these?” Oikawa shook the Disneyland tickets in Akaashi’s face, “Because there’s three of them.”

Akaashi laughed, shaking his head, “I can assure you I had no part in any of it.”

“I’m going to kill him—”

“Just enjoy it, Tooru. I don’t know why you’re so against people’s good intentions.” 

“Because they’re not good intentions, Dad. This is top level spoiling!” 

“Then be spoiled,” his Dad yawned, “You’re too much like your mother—”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,”

The beta gave a wicked smile, taking a sip of his wine, “Isn’t it?” 

“Mamoru! Don’t think I can’t hear you!” Fumi yelled at them from the kitchen. 

“I love you, dear!” Mamoru shouted back, in perhaps the loudest voice anyone had heard from him so far. 

Tooru cackled, raising his own glass to his lips, “You’re so whipped, Dad.” 

“Is that what the kids call consideration these days?” 

Oikawa rolled his eyes, turning his attention to Akaashi once again, “I wanted to thank you for the doughnuts, they looked absolutely amazing.” 

“I’m glad you liked them,” Akaashi smiled, “Everyone seemed to enjoy the food in general, though. I believe we have your mom to thank for that.” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa explained, “She’s always loved cooking. My bentos were beyond ridiculous in elementary—”

“You liked those bentos—” Fumi said, joining the company on the couch. 

“Oooh are we talking about school days?” Bokuto jumped over the couch, to which he received a scolding from Fumi. 

“I wanna hear about this too,” Iwa said, sliding in next to Oikawa, resting his arm casually on the back of the couch, but it was enough to tickle the hairs on Oikawa’s neck. 

“Elementary school?” Oikawa scoffed, “That’s a boring story.”

“A boring story perhaps, but it was full of beautiful bentos,” Fumi said, sitting on the arm of the chair her husband was sitting on, “That was some of my best work. Until you went and grew up.” 

“What middle schooler wants bentos shaped like little panda bears!” 

“One that loves his mother!” 

Everyone chuckled at that, though Oikawa didn’t find it particularly funny, and Iwa folded his left leg over his right, leaning in a bit closer to him. 

Part of Oikawa wished they hadn’t scented. Because he was all too aware of that smell now. And any time he caught a whiff, he could feel himself start to heat up. 

And maybe it was counterproductive, since leaning into Iwa would only logically cause more warmth, especially to his cheeks, all things considered, but he found himself doing it anyway, and it was a weird sort of thing, how his posture hardly changed at all, but it was all Iwa needed, it seemed, to confidently put his arm around Oikawa’s shoulder, rather than to leave it resting on the couch. 

It was nice, the way it felt being held like that, the lively conversation led by Akaashi’s uncontrollable laughter, because Bokuto was telling the story about how he’d shoved pop rocks up his nose in middle school. And soon enough, Eiji was climbing into Oikawa’s lap, the movie forgotten, serving as nothing more than background noise to the chatter, Eiji letting everyone know that now he too wanted to put pop rocks in his nose. 

Oikawa told him absolutely not, because he was not going to go to the hospital for something stupid like _that,_ and Bokuto backed him up on it, saying it really hurt and he couldn’t even sneeze the candy out to save himself. But Eiji was insisting that if Uncle Bokuto could do it, then so could he, and by this point everyone was laughing so much that Oikawa found it hard to believe he’d spent the whole day practically slaving away. He felt so rejuvenated he hardly had a word for it. But, if he _did_ have to put a name to it…

Oikawa would have called it family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Ok so just to clarify, I forget not all of you follow me on tumblr so let me make it clear that I do not have a wife and am not married lol. Actually I have a boyfriend but he's beside the point XD When I'm referring to my "Wife" I'm talking about Cel, or most of you probably know her as caelestisxyz, the author of The Alpha King and I. She's a great writer and I love her to pieces and we're the best of friends. Anyway.
> 
> This chapter took me all day woops lmfao. It was supposed to be a short 2k thing and it turned into a 5k monster so I hope you all enjoy XD Honestly this one is probably one of my favorites and I now ship Eiji x Shinji hardcore lmfaoo. Also I try not to add Japanese phrases to avoid like the whole weeb syndrome but I find that there's no real equivalent to a young boy's exclamation of "suge!" lol which is why I added it.
> 
> Also, if anyone else wants to do art for this story, please let me know! I'll reblog the shit out of it if it's on tumblr and either way I'll post a link over the chapter for it ^o^ 
> 
> Thank you all so much for your support, your amazing comments, sweet messages, and everything in between!! You guys really are the best!


	15. Chapter 15

“No I’m just saying there’s no point in me going if Iwaizumi—”

“Maybe I don’t _want_ him to go—”

“Tooru—“

“Koutarou. You paid too much for these to _not_ come with us.”

“Well I’m not going. And I’m about to pick up Akaashi, so I’m gonna hang up now.”

“Kou—”

He hung up his phone, and turned it off, because as much as he loved him, Tooru was hard-headed as _fuck_ sometimes. 

But all tension completely melted off his shoulders, the moment Akaashi opened the door. A smile broke out on his face. Bokuto had been doing that a lot, lately. Smiling, that is. Especially when it involved Akaashi. 

_Because_ it involved Akaashi. 

“Ready to go?”

Akaashi smiled and nodded in response, closing the door behind him and then nuzzling the alpha in greeting. 

The omega exhaled, the kind of sigh that sounded like _relief,_ and Bokuto understood that well enough, because whenever he scented Akaashi, he felt the exact same way. 

“I feel like we haven’t been able to meet in a while.” Akaashi said, finally taking a step back and creating some distance. 

“Work got pretty crazy for the both of us,” Bokuto agreed, pulling the omega in again for one last quick scenting, which the omega seemed to fully appreciate, because Bokuto could feel the soft vibration of purrs against his neck. 

Part of him had to hold back the instinct to _bite._

“What did you have planned today?” 

Bokuto shrugged, finally letting go, “I’m down for anything.”

It was a bit too hot to do anything that required too much energy, so they settled for window shopping, since walking the shops under Tokyo Station was a sure fire way to reap the benefits of air conditioning. And without the heat to bother them, Bokuto was able to slip touches to the omega’s neck and cheeks as much as he wanted. It was a bit cringey, considering that kind of affection was only openly shown between teenagers, but Akaashi didn’t seem to mind, because every so often he’d lean in, and return the gesture to the alpha. 

After lunch that consisted of omurice and three coca-colas (Akaashi liked sweet drinks) they decided to take the green line to Shinjuku, since there was a bookstore there Akaashi said he wanted to check out. 

Bokuto had always liked train rides— there was just something soothing about the way the train rocked against the tracks— but he liked them even more with Akaashi, because when they sat down next to each other, he was always able to take hold of the omega’s hand. 

And Akaashi had really soft hands. 

Not to mention that despite the seats being sectioned off, Akaashi’s thighs were touching Bokuto’s own, the omega leaning into him slightly, smelling so goddamn _sweet_ Bokuto wondered how he’d manage the rest of today.

Still, though, he kept the conversations going, trying to make sure his own honest scent didn’t leak out _too_ much, because up until now, they had yet to go that far. And he didn’t want to do anything until Akaashi was ready. 

“I still can’t believe you guys only met—a year ago you said?” 

Akaashi nodded, “That’s when I started with my lessons.”

“That’s crazy. You guys seem so close.” 

“We’re both rather peculiar…I suppose that’s why we get along.” 

Bokuto’s voice dropped, “Is Terushima also…with touch starvation?” 

Akaashi shook his head, “No, nothing like that. But he does have certain habits that tend to…alienate him…” 

“He’s pretty bold,” Bokuto laughed, “He doesn’t really seem like the type to care.” 

The omega smiled genuinely, “You’re right about that.” 

“You guys should come to the bar sometime! I’ll treat you.” 

“Oh,” Akaashi blushed, “We couldn’t—“

“No, it’d be fun!”

“Terushima is really busy…” Akaashi began awkwardly, “He’ll be getting married in the spring…” 

“Oh that’s awesome!” Bokuto hooted, “You can totally invite his fiancé too! We could all get to know one another.” 

Akaashi laughed, though the hesitance in it wasn’t something Bokuto missed, “I don’t know the fiancé too well, honestly. He is a man of few words, it seems.” 

“All the more reason,” Bokuto insisted, grinning a smile that showed off all his teeth, “If you don’t want to though, it’s fine. Just throwing it out there.” He brushed his nose over the top of Akaashi’s hair, reassuring the omega and getting rid of the small twinge of anxiety that had been present in his voice. 

Akaashi had to stop himself from purring. Ever since he’d confessed about his condition, Bokuto had become very attentive to Akaashi’s scent glands, making sure they were properly scented and nuzzled, to the point where Akaashi rarely had to seek out his friend’s assistance to do so platonically. 

He’d never been with an alpha that was so dedicated to making him feel at ease. 

And they hadn’t even been _intimate_ yet. 

The thought made his skin burn. Because if Bokuto was like this in the general sense, then surely…once they crossed that line…

He leaned in ever so slightly, resting against the alpha while the train rocked back and forth. He couldn’t help but hope for more. Because more than this sweltering heat, Akaashi was sure that the cause for his sudden rise in body temperature came from the way his heart raced whenever he was this close to Bokuto. Because part of him—no, _all of him—_

He wanted to be even closer. Even without the heat that was a summer afternoon in Tokyo, Akaashi’s body was, well, _hot._

When they got to Shinjuku, they got lost for a bit, wandering around the humid streets and stopping inside a shopping mall while they looked up directions to the bookstore. Akaashi was fanning himself with his hand, scrolling down his phone, and Bokuto took the opportunity to buy them both some Pocari from the vending machines that were just outside the store.

Once Akaashi finally procured the location, they set off again, trudging through the thick wave of muggy heat until they reached the bookstore. 

“We should buy a fan while we’re at it,” Bokuto chuckled, letting out a huge sigh of relief when they finally entered the air-conditioned store. 

“They were selling some at the train station,” Akaashi smiled, glancing at Bokuto before taking his fill of the books. 

Bokuto fell into step behind him, “Yeah, but those break so easily—what’re you looking for, by the way?” 

Akaashi headed straight to a large display, where a blue book with golden lettering was being advertised. He picked up a copy, smiling to himself. “This one. It’s the third in the series, but I haven’t had time to pick it up yet.” 

“What’s it about?” 

The omega flipped the book over in his hands, “Lots of things. Love, mostly.” 

“You like love stories?” 

“Mm,” Akaashi nodded, affirming the fact. “Is it ok if we look around?” 

“Sure!” Bokuto beamed, letting Akaashi lead the way, “Besides bookstores always smell nice.” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but giggle, “They do have a certain smell to them don’t they?” 

They went through the numerous rows of books, Bokuto making fun of a few of the covers, which Akaashi laughed openly at, and at one point there were waddling down the rows, because Bokuto had taken to hugging Akaashi from behind, resting his chin on the omega’s shoulders and purposely making it difficult for him to walk. It was childish, probably, definitely not something two men nearing their thirties should have been doing, but it was far too fun for Akaashi to really be bothered by it. And besides, having Bokuto this close made his heart flutter pleasantly, giving him a sort of adrenaline he was very quickly getting addicted to. 

Bokuto didn’t let go until they arrived at the cooking section, where nearly half the shelves were taken up by cookbooks written by a very highly renowned chef. 

“I don’t like this guy so much,” Bokuto said, pointing at a magazine that boasted his picture. 

“He’s rather strict,” Akaashi agreed. 

Bokuto scrunched up his nose, mimicking the celebrity chef’s voice, “I am a _coolasically_ trained, _Foo-renchoo_ chef!” 

Akaashi practically snorted, trying to curb his laughter with his hand, but Bokuto continued in that voice, making jokes at the chef’s expense. 

No one could make Akaashi laugh the way Bokuto did.

But just as they were reaching the end of the aisle, Akaashi’s laughter stopped with a choked kind of gasp, his body tensing and the hairs on his arms standing on end. His scent had notably sunk into something that made Bokuto’s own senses sharpen in alarm. 

It was instinct; alpha wanting to protect omega. 

“Akaashi—?”

The book they’d come here for fell onto the stack of magazines beneath them, in a way that was kind of muffled, and Akaashi ducked his head, trying his best to appear small, the way omegas did when they were frightened. He gripped at Bokuto’s sleeve, the fabric crinkling beneath Akaashi’s shaking palm, “Can we leave?” 

Bokuto didn’t ask why. Didn’t really have to, because he followed Akaashi’s line of sight, and while he didn’t know _who_ the man was, Bokuto could take a sure enough guess. 

So he wrapped his arm over Akaashi’s shoulder, in a very shielding kind of way, in a way Akaashi was a bit unfamiliar with, but appreciated nonetheless, clinging to Bokuto so much it that was probably embarrassing to look at, but at that moment Akaashi didn’t really care. 

There really was no way to get out of the bookstore without passing by the other alpha, so Bokuto just tightened his grip, rubbing reassuring little circles into Akaashi’s shoulder, and tried to block him from view as best he could. 

But it wasn’t enough. 

They were called out to— well, Akaashi was— and though Bokuto had no intention of stopping, a hand was placed on his shoulder, and that was something he couldn’t ignore. 

“Oy—”

“Akaashi!” The man gave a sly smile, “Long time no see~” 

Akaashi said nothing, simply looked on ahead, his face deadpan. 

The man snorted, “What, you a mute now?” 

Bokuto gave a warning growl, telling the other alpha to watch how he spoke, while tightening his hold on Akaashi. Certain alphas had a kind of _scent_ around them. One that was more aggressive than others. And it didn’t take very much for Bokuto to put two and two together. 

“I don’t know you my friend, but as a fellow alpha, I feel like I should warn you—”

Bokuto noticed Akaashi’s scent strengthen into something that was almost like a panic, and all he really wanted was to get him out of there, so that he could calm the omega down. 

“—this one will sleep with anyone. Has he told you of his _condition_ yet? Don’t believe it—that’s just his excuse to cheat.” 

Shaking, Akaashi tried to interject, to defend himself, “Bokuto-san, I—”

Again, the man placed his hand on Bokuto’s shoulder, shaking his head as if everything were a lost cause, “No good omegas, am I right? Us alphas gotta look out for each other.” He held out his hand as if waiting for a fist bump or a hand slap for some sort of confirmation. 

Akaashi didn’t think Bokuto would do anything. Because he trusted him. But that was exactly why his heart sank as sharp and fast as it did, when the arm that had been so tightly wrapped around his shoulder fell, and Bokuto gave the alpha exactly what he was looking for, the two of them bumping fists in a friendly manner. 

He was so dizzy he thought he might throw up. 

“Can’t let a guy like you get dragged around by a slut like him, know what I mean?” 

Bokuto nodded in understanding, “Thanks for the heads up,” he motioned with his hand, “I feel like I should return the favor.”

The other alpha smiled, “For sure—”

It happened so fast that Akaashi didn’t even really see it. But one moment they were just talking, the next there was such a loud _crack_ that Akaashi thought Bokuto had broken his hand, and in a moment that the omega didn’t even register, Bokuto had him by the arm and was yelling back at him to _run_ because—because Akaashi didn’t know why—but they were running, probably because Bokuto had just punched his ex— in the middle of a bookstore, mind you—and they were being chased—were they being chased? Akaashi didn’t know, didn’t really _care,_ because Bokuto was holding onto him again, laughing and out of breath, but so was Akaashi, and they just kept running, which probably looked ridiculous, through the crowded streets of Shinjuku, in this sweltering summer _heat_ that seemed to be melting them with each step, and they just didn’t _stop,_ kept going, until they were drenched in sweat, and Bokuto finally pulled him into an alley, bringing Akaashi up against him, panting and heart racing out of his chest. 

“Sorry—”

“N-No that was—”

The alpha was laughing, adrenaline rushing in his veins.

“I’ve never hit anyone before—”

“It’s fine—”

“I hope you don’t think it was cowardly to run—”

“It wasn’t—”

“Akaashi?”

“Yes—?”

He was taken, lips captured and held hostage, face cupped between large palms that promised to never let go, Akaashi feeling so much that he was physically _shaking,_ the tremors in his body leaking out in forms of laughter, gripping at the alpha to keep his balance, his lungs scraped from the run and desperate for air, but he was more desperate for the alpha’s kiss, finding it to be more than enough and yet not _nearly_ enough, and when Bokuto wrapped his arms around his back, pressing their chests together, Akaashi’s thigh brushed up against the alpha’s, and he couldn’t help the trembling moan that parted his lips, and spilled into Bokuto’s mouth. 

Bokuto gave a low growl, finally pulling away, but only to rest his nose against Akaashi’s scent glands, nuzzling him in a way that was more of a claim than anything else, his teeth tugging slightly at the skin. “I don’t know who the fuck that guy was—” Bokuto practically spat it out, in a tone Akaashi had never heard from him before, his voice leaking so much venom that it was almost _arousing,_ the omega feeling a rush of shivers go down his back. 

“Thank you,” Akaashi blurted, bringing his own hands to Bokuto’s face, and lifting his head up, so that he could kiss him flat and hard, “I—never—”

And they were kissing again, in that desperate way, the kind of kiss that had hands gripping at shirts and teeth tugging on lips with breaths stolen and exchanged and taken back again, until Akaashi couldn’t take it anymore, being so closely pressed to the alpha, in this godforsaken _heat_ that made it impossible to tell if it was the weather itself or just the fact that Bokuto was a furnace, his scent spreading out and over the way cookies might when Akaashi baked, that vanilla catching on everything, spilling out into every last bit of him, and he—

Bokuto held Akaashi’s wrists, separating the omega from himself, taking in large breaths with swollen lips that made Akaashi blush. 

“We should,” he tried between breaths, “We should probably calm down…” 

Akaashi followed Bokuto’s glance, realizing the outline that had formed against his own pants, and his cheeks flushed an even darker shade of red. He was so flustered, and so lost in his own head, that he didn’t realize Bokuto looked very much the same. 

“I’m—“ Akaashi cleared his throat, trying to straighten his thoughts, “Sorry—that was probably—I’m sorry—” 

“That—that should be my line. Considering…um, where we are and everything.” 

At first, Akaashi thought he meant the alley. But then his vision cleared from the haze of heat, and despite the afternoon sun, there was no denying the neon signage. 

So they were in _that_ part of Shinjuku. 

Maybe it was the adrenaline catching up to him, or everything crashing around him, or maybe it was the fact that Akaashi really hadn’t gotten a solid breath in since the bookstore, but whatever the reason was, the omega burst out laughing, shaking his head and snuggling into the alpha, despite the fact that they were both sweating, and that it was far too hot to be pressed up against _anyone_ at the moment, but regardless, it was just what he needed. 

“Do you…” he began shyly, but then squeezed the alpha, and looked up at him, letting down the last of his walls, “Do you want to make use of one of them?” 

It was terrifying, almost, the way Bokuto said _nothing,_ how he simply grabbed Akaashi by the hand, and led them out of the alley, stopping in front of the very first love hotel they came across, pulling out his wallet to slide his card and get a room. 

Just before doing so though, he stopped, turning to the omega with an expression Akaashi was much more familiar with, as if the alpha had suddenly come to his senses. 

“Wait, are you sure? I mean this—it’s not that I don’t want to but—are you ok if it’s in a place like this?” 

Akaashi put his hand over the alpha’s, kissing his cheek as he helped Bokuto slide the card down, upon which a hotel keycard was dispensed out at them almost instantaneously. “If it’s with you…” Akaashi took the keycard, blushing so much he was afraid to show his face, “Anywhere…is fine…” 

The omega’s scent glands were held hostage the entire elevator ride—which was relatively short—but it was a nice feeling regardless, Bokuto nuzzling him so much Akaashi thought his vocal chords might break from the amount of purring the alpha was coaxing out of him. 

They stumbled into their room, which was a miracle, considering how much they’d been fumbling with the keycard, lost between sloppy kisses that weren’t suitable for a pair their age, but were completely necessary just the same. 

Akaashi could feel his blood rushing, Bokuto still attached to his glands, hugging him from behind and sucking on them, enough to make the omega’s legs tremble in anticipation. 

“I don’t…have a condom…” the alpha admitted, shyly glazing his tongue over the quickly swelling glands, Akaashi starting to feel his head spin. 

“Cabinet…” he managed, drowsy with the scent of vanilla, wanting to taste it for himself. 

The alpha pulled away, opening up the cabinet that held any and everything someone might need—for a price of course—and while Bokuto looked for condoms, Akaashi was granted the view of that large back, and those muscles that tensed and moved beneath his shirt. 

He was finding himself short of breath. 

And it was probably for that very reason—that and the vanilla in his head—that he went up to the alpha, sliding his hands up underneath his shirt, hooking them around the front of the alpha’s chest while he nuzzled against Bokuto’s back. 

The alpha stiffened under his touch. 

“If you do that…I won’t be able to hold back, you know.” 

Akaashi didn’t really want him to. Which was probably why he stubbornly kept his hands in place, continuously rubbing his cheeks against the alpha’s shoulder blades. 

It backfired though—or maybe it went exactly as planned—because Bokuto didn’t let him continue for long, pushing his hands away and then scooping the omega up in his arms, the condom held between his teeth. 

“Okehy,” he managed with clenched teeth, “To deh behd.”

Akaashi snorted—actually _snorted_ —wriggling in the alpha’s arms from pure excitement, Bokuto tossing the comforter aside but still managing to hold the omega, before placing him gently down against the sheets. 

He hovered over the omega, bending down and kissing his forehead. 

“Hi.” 

Akaashi giggled, jitters coursing through his entire body. “Hello.” 

“My name is Bokuto Koutarou and I’ll be your host this evening.” 

Akaashi turned his head away as he laughed, shaking it in reprimand, “Don’t say it like that—”

“I believe your file said you require excessive scenting.”

“N-No!” His glands were attacked, in a way that made Akaashi’s legs kick out, unable to curb his laughter, “Bokuto—“

“And kisses—” he kissed Akaashi’s neck as he said so, giving him every bit of attention, “Lots of those…” 

It was ticklish, almost, but soon enough his shirt was gone, and so was Bokuto’s, and his laughter had died down, replaced with a breathless sort of gasp as the slick pooled between his thighs. Especially when Bokuto let his hands drag down his chest, kissing him all the while, his fingers soaking in every bit of Akaashi’s skin, making sure not a single part went untouched. 

And everything just fell into place. 

The way Bokuto’s warmth melted into his own, how much their lips seemed to fold over each other, again and again, fingers getting lost in hair and Akaashi’s short whines drowned out by Bokuto’s low groans, the omega wrapping his legs around the alpha, wanting to feel even _closer._

It was sweet. Soft and gentle, Bokuto nuzzling him all the way through, easing his way in and continuously asking to make sure the omega wasn’t in any pain. 

It was full of kisses. Of loving whispers and sweet words. Of hand holding and hushed laughter. It was full of dumb smiles and noses against cheeks and panting into one another’s ear. It was Akaashi’s nails down Bokuto’s back and Bokuto’s teeth latched onto Akaashi’s neck. It was gold eyes staring into brown, and Akaashi didn’t want to look away, didn’t want to let go. 

He could drown, in eyes like that. 

The omega had never trembled so much before. Had never been _held_ like this before, in this way that was so caring and so _loving,_ full of kisses and thrusts that kept their chests close, that allowed every bit of his skin to touch every bit of Bokuto’s, Akaashi falling into bliss again and again, to the point where when he felt the alpha’s knot catch, it didn’t hurt the way it usually did, just filled him with warmth instead, filled him all the way up, Bokuto so wonderfully _close_ and Akaashi so completely overwhelmed that he couldn’t stop the tears that started streaming down his face. 

“Akaashi?” Bokuto hovered over him in a panic, “Does it hurt? Sorry I—I didn’t ask if you wanted to be knotted—”

The omega shook his head, wrapping his arms around Bokuto’s neck and bringing him back down, burying his face in the alpha’s chest, wrapping his legs around Bokuto’s as he felt another pulse from the alpha’s knot. 

“I didn’t know…” he murmured, his voice cracking at only just at a whisper, “I didn’t know it could feel like that…” 

Bokuto relaxed in his hold, nuzzling him gently, “It doesn’t hurt then?” 

Akaashi shook his head, and Bokuto held him, rolling to his side, so that they’d both be more comfortable until his knot went down. He kissed the top of Akaashi’s head, because the omega still refused to show his face, “That’s good.” He rubbed his hand up and down Akaashi’s back, letting out low, rumbling purrs that soothed Akaashi more than he could ever describe, and for a moment, he almost thought he’d fall asleep, resting in Bokuto’s arms like that, soaking in the alpha’s warmth and letting himself be lulled by those deep purrs. 

Never. 

Never in his whole life had he ever experienced anything like it. It was the first time Akaashi could say he actually understood the difference between sex, and making love. 

And he and Bokuto had most definitely just made love. 

“Wanna get cleaned up?” It was a soft whisper, Bokuto nuzzling him gently, and it was only then that Akaashi realized Bokuto’s knot had gone down enough for them to separate. 

It was quite the mess when they did, Akaashi’s slick coating his thighs and then staining the sheets. 

Red painted his cheeks, Akaashi feeling a sudden need to hide under the covers and never come out. But Bokuto didn’t allow it, and between coaxing kisses and gentle nudges from his nose, they were up, walking to the bathroom without a shred of clothing, and covered in Akaashi’s cum. 

It was sort of mortifying. 

But Bokuto didn’t allow for that either, playing around with the water hose and washing Akaashi’s back, Akaashi soon forgetting the fact that they’d never seen this much of each other before, embarrassment washing away, because Bokuto made it easy like that. And somehow or another, Akaashi was left to wash the alpha’s hair, the soap allowing him to put it into strange shapes that made the omega laugh, and Bokuto was only too happy to be the cause of such a sound.

Once they were done cleaning up, they jumped into the bath, Akaashi settling himself between Bokuto’s thighs, resting his head on the alpha’s shoulder and inhaling deeply. 

It was more than anything he ever could have asked for. 

Bokuto was attentive, brushing his fingers over Akaashi’s arms while they relaxed in the hot water, not saying much of anything but just murmuring against each other, exchanging emotion through scent and touch rather than words, the way only alphas and omegas could. 

“Thank you,” Akaashi said finally, “For everything you did today.” 

Bokuto kissed his cheek in response, so Akaashi thought it ok to continue. “The alpha today—I’m sure you already guessed—”

“I only care about one thing.” 

Akaashi stiffened, craning his neck slightly, so he could look at Bokuto properly. Somehow, he looked all the more serious when his hair was flat against his head. 

“Yes?” 

“That guy. Did he hit you?” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened, before they softened around the edges. He shook his head. 

“No. I left before that could happen.” 

Bokuto noticeably relaxed against the tub, letting his head rest against the edge. He rubbed Akaashi’s arm, pulling the omega into him, “Thank god.” 

And suddenly Akaashi was overwhelmed again. Because this was the first time in a long time—no, the first time ever?—that someone had ever cared _this much,_ that someone had ever actually given a damn—

Bokuto’s stomach growled, the sound echoing in the empty bathroom. The alpha let out an embarrassed chuckle, running his fingers through his hair. 

“Um…so…food?” 

Akaashi laughed when he leaned in to him, telling him that food sounded like a wonderful way to end the day. 

They got dried off, deciding it’d be better to get some food closer to home, and managed to agree on ramen. It was the obvious choice, given that it was both fast and filling. It took about half an hour to get back by train, and then another forty minutes for food, which by then the sun was already dipping into the horizon. 

Bokuto insisted on walking Akaashi home, arm hooked around the omega’s waist for the entirety of the walk. 

Akaashi’s blood rushed in his ears, the closer they got to his apartment. Because once they got there, they’d have to say goodbye. And Akaashi didn’t want the alpha to leave. Not after the day they’d had together. 

But eventually they got to his door, and Bokuto dropped his hand from Akaashi’s waist. 

They kissed goodbye. 

And then they kissed goodbye again. And then a third time, for good measure. But it was on the fifth goodbye that Bokuto cracked, letting his head fall onto Akaashi’s shoulder. 

“Can I come inside?” 

Akaashi staggered slightly, since the alpha had dropped all of his dead weight onto him. “…Of the apartment, you mean?” 

Bokuto stiffened, and for a brief moment Akaashi thought he should quickly take it back while he still had the chance, but then Bokuto _whined,_ right into his neck, his breath sending shivers down to the omega’s toes. 

_“You’re gonna kill me.”_

It was too sudden, how quickly he became wrapped in that sinfully sweet vanilla, Bokuto’s scent not providing any sort of subtlety as to what the alpha’s intentions truly were. 

And that had Akaashi’s heart racing all over again. 

He opened his door quickly, giggling while Bokuto kept nuzzling him, kept telling Akaashi how _good_ he smelled, and Akaashi thought that that was _his_ line, because the way Bokuto smelled right now…

“This way,” he took the alpha by the hand, red up to his ears but jittery just the same. His nerves were more out of excitement, because they’d just done this after all, except it felt a bit different this time, because this time—

“Ah!” Akaashi _yelped,_ when Bokuto literally swept him off his feet, cradling the omega in his arms the way one would a bride. 

“Which way?” he grinned, waggling his eyebrows. 

Akaashi licked his lips, pointing down the small hallway, “Second door,” 

They basically _ran_ in, which was a testament to the alpha’s strength, going full speed until they crashed onto Akaashi’s bed, laughing and tangling up into each other. 

Giddy didn’t even begin to describe it. 

“Everything smells like you,” Bokuto muttered against Akaashi’s mouth, their lips pressed together in a way that was more longing for touch than it was an intention of a kiss. 

“It’s my room,”

“I know but— _fuck_ Akaashi—”

There came more giggles, and more desperate kisses into opened mouths, their clothes coming off much faster this time around, lost to the floor. 

But _this_ time, before Bokuto had the chance to push him down, Akaashi dropped down right between the alpha’s thighs, looking up at him with longing eyes.

“I want to…can I…?”

“You don’t have to—”

Akaashi ignored him, the scent the alpha was giving off urging him to continue, and so he drew his tongue out, sampling a taste of the alpha’s length. 

“Bokuto,” he began, continuing with his _not-so-chaste_ licks, “Did you know most omegas have a soft spot in their mouths?” 

Bokuto _did_ know that, but he didn’t think—

The omega took him, Bokuto feeling his tip brush against the roof of the omega’s mouth, the omega moaning in response and Bokuto hardening all the more, blood rushing down so fast he could feel himself starting to go dizzy. 

It was probably one of the best thing Bokuto had ever had the pleasure of seeing. The way Akaashi’s eyes rolled to the back of his head every time he bobbed his head forward, how the spit was sliding down his jaw, and his _ass—_ the way it was all up in the air like that, wriggling like it wanted something, bouncing every time Akaashi sucked. And every time Akaashi just seemed to take him _deeper,_ as if the omega were begging for _more,_ and _fuck_ if he kept moaning around his cock like that, Bokuto wasn’t sure how long he was going to last. 

“Akaashi—” he tugged at the omega’s hair, “Akaashi I’m—”

He tried to pull away, but wasn’t fast enough, his cum catching the bottom of Akaashi’s jaw, the rest sliding down the omega’s chest. 

Bokuto reddened.

“Ah— sorry—sorry—”

Akaashi looked down at his chest, and it was only then that Bokuto realized Akaashi had cum too. They both watched Bokuto’s semen drip down Akaashi’s chest, their seed mixing together. The alpha thought he might lose all reason. 

Akaashi looked up at Bokuto, eyes drunk with pleasure. “More,” his voice was hoarse, “Give me more…” 

Bokuto definitely lost all reason. 

His hands dug in, pushing the omega flat on his back, smearing Akaashi’s chest with white. “Did you really cum? Are you that sensitive Akaashi?” 

“I-I—” the omega trembled, moaning under Bokuto’s touch.

“What about your nipples,” his fingers found the pink buds, tugging and pinching with virgin-like excitement, Akaashi’s back arching and a sharp moan popping his mouth open, answering the question Bokuto didn’t even have the chance to finish. 

_“Are those sensitive too?”_

“The-They’re—” Akaashi wasn’t really given the chance to reply, what with the way Bokuto just dug right in, sucking on Akaashi’s chest, his tongue dragging across the sensitive skin. 

The alpha reveled in the reactions he got, especially when he noticed the way Akaashi’s cock was leaking, dripping onto the omega’s abdomen and crying for attention. 

He could fix that. 

He kissed him, cupping Akaashi’s cheek with his palm, making sure the omega felt at ease before asking if he could turn onto his stomach. 

“I’m gonna mount you, is that ok?” 

Akaashi flipped over all too eagerly upon hearing that, shamelessly spreading his legs, craning his head with those glazed-over eyes, telling Bokuto that it was fine. 

“I want you,” 

“I want you too,” Bokuto assured, positioning himself over the omega, rubbing against him and kissing at his shoulders, “So, so much—”

“Bokuto,” his name came out as a sort of whine, and Bokuto couldn’t help but think that he really was going to lose it, if Akaashi kept on saying his name like that. 

He peppered kisses all along Akaashi’s shoulders and neck, and rather than sliding in gently, the way he wanted to, he was _sucked_ in, Akaashi’s walls pulsing and squeezing, the omega pushing back his own hips so that he was filled to the hilt in a single thrust. 

The omega’s mouth dropped open in pleasure when that happened, sound failing to manifest, but his legs trembling just the same. 

It was beautiful. Akaashi’s back bowed and glistening with sweat, those wide hips shaking all on their own, desperate to meet Bokuto’s equally desperate thrusts. 

Bokuto reached around Akaashi’s thighs, trembling as he felt the amount of slick that coated them, fighting the urge to pull out and lick it all up, because as good as that would be the alpha was pretty much convinced nothing could be better than being _inside_ of Akaashi, the omega’s walls slippery and pulsing and _tight,_ and the alpha in him wanted nothing more than to shape Akaashi, to mold him around his cock and mark the swelling scent glands that were letting out the _sweetest_ of scents. 

But those kinds of thoughts were dangerous—definitely dangerous—so he tried to focus on making Akaashi feel good instead, stroking the omega’s cock with his hand, and sucking on the back of his neck, Akaashi fueling his actions with the little _mewls_ he kept letting out, repeating Bokuto’s name in broken syllables that had the alpha teetering over the edge. 

Akaashi came all over Bokuto’s hand, but he didn’t stop, not yet, because it felt too good, _far_ too good, and everything was just so _wet,_ either from the slick or the sweat or _something,_ and all Bokuto could manage was a short apology, before he pulled out, flipping the omega over again easily. 

Akaashi whined in surprise, but it was choked, his breath catching when Bokuto grabbed the back of his knee and lifted it up, Akaashi having enough sense left to hook his ankle around the alpha’s shoulder, and soon enough he was filled again, Bokuto pumping into him with short growls that alphas were prone to give. 

Even through the blur of pleasure, Akaashi could see it all perfectly. The way Bokuto’s muscles tensed with each thrust, the way his arms were strained, one hand digging into his thigh and the other right by his head, gripping at the pillows while he pushed Akaashi over the edge again and again. 

But suddenly, the thrusts sped up, Akaashi feeling him all the way up in his stomach, and he hadn’t really noticed before, but Bokuto only really started talking once he was close to going over himself. It only added to the haze in Akaashi’s head, because when it was like this, he realized, Bokuto’s voice got gruff and somewhat hoarse in his ears, like calloused hands on soft skin. 

_“Fuck,_ it’s so good, ‘Kaashi—“ he was panting, “So so good—you’re pulling me in—”

Panic swelled in the omega, his walls tightening as a result, and it was so sudden that Bokuto nearly doubled over. 

“Bokuto—you can’t—condom—“ 

“I’ll pull out,” he kept with his thrusts, tightening his grip on Akaashi’s thigh, “I’ll put out— tell me where you want it,”

Akaashi could only whine in response, because he was seeing white again, his vision blurring as he was brought over for the third or forth or fifth—he’d lost count—time that night, and really, if Akaashi were being honest, he’d have said he wanted it inside to begin with—

“Fuck!” Bokuto’s head tossed, back, sweat dripping down his forehead and his hair sticking to his face, “So good—so _good—”_

Suddenly Akaashi felt empty, and warmth was splattered all over his stomach, but he wasn’t even given enough time to register it, because Bokuto collapsed next to him, his arm claiming the top part of Akaashi’s chest, making him jolt against the bed. 

They were both panting, but Bokuto’s pants were heavier, somehow, and while the alpha caught his breath Akaashi palmed his stomach, rolling the sticky substance over in his fingers. 

He sighed against the pillows, deliciously exhausted. 

His bed smelled like Bokuto, now. 

“… _mazing…”_ Bokuto murmured. 

“What?”

He lifted his head, wearing a dumb smile on his face as he drunkedly crashed his lips onto Akaashi’s cheek, “You’re amazing…” 

Akaashi’s chest swelled, feeling a small tinge of blush spread over the top of his cheeks. “You’re the one…” he struggled to catch his breath, “Who’s amazing…” 

Bokuto laughed. A stupid kind of laugh, dorky at its core, the kind that Akaashi guessed only really happened at times like these. 

“We should…probably shower again.” 

The omega hummed, thinking that over, not really wanting to move yet. Instead, he cocked his head over to the side, and looked at the time, before rolling back over, and tiredly snuggled into Bokuto’s side, purring contentedly. 

With bold shyness, he looked up at Bokuto and they kissed again, exchanging soft moans and tired exhales. When they pulled away Bokuto saw Akaashi looking at him with wide eyes, the kind only omegas could have, and in that single look Bokuto knew he was done for. 

“W-What is it?” 

A smile that was far too demure for the situation spread across Akaashi’s lips, the omega replying in a voice like velvet. 

_“Again?”_

_…_

Akaashi woke up to a pleasant ache that throbbed throughout his entire body, and a dumb sort of smile he couldn’t seem to shake off his lips.

Bokuto lay snoring softly next to him, and so Akaashi reached over, turning off his alarm so that it wouldn’t go off and wake the alpha. 

But in reaching over to get the clock, Akaashi ended up waking him up regardless. Bokuto stirred, letting out a soft groan. 

“‘Kaashi? -Time is it?” 

“It’s four in the morning,” Akaashi whispered, kissing his cheek, “I have to open up the bakery—”

“Oh—“ Bokuto tried to move, “Shit, I’ll—”

Akaashi kissed his cheek again, hushing him gently, “Go back to sleep. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.” 

That seemed to be enough to have the alpha fall into deep sleep again, and Akaashi couldn’t help but smile at the image, before heading over to his closet so he could grab his clothes and take a quick shower. 

It was probably one of the longest showers Akaashi had ever taken. To be fair, nearly all of him was sore, and although they’d showered before going to sleep, they’d also added another round before going to bed, so Akaashi had a bit to clean up. But it was all done with a sleepy smile on his face, Akaashi playing the memories back in his mind to the sound of rushing water. 

When he stepped back out into the room, Bokuto was gone. Which was particularly strange, because the alpha’s clothes were still splayed out on the floor, where they’d been forgotten the night before. 

With a knitted brow, Akaashi made his way to the kitchen, where he found Bokuto in nothing but his boxers, yawning as he shook a pan filled with what Akaashi guessed were sausages, if the scent was any indication. 

He thought he’d gotten used to seeing the alpha with his hair down, considering everything that had happened yesterday. But apparently it was still enough to make Akaashi’s heart clench. 

Of course, Akaashi couldn’t say for sure if it was the alpha’s hair, or the outline of that muscled back, that held Akaashi’s own scratch marks. 

Or maybe it was the simple fact that it was 4am, and yet the alpha had gotten up in order to make breakfast. 

He licked his lips, taking in a sharp inhale, “You should have gone back to sleep,” Akaashi went up to him, nuzzling his shoulder, “I don’t usually eat breakfast anyway.” 

Bokuto nuzzled him back, albeit a bit sleepily, “But breakfast is the most important meal of the day, ‘Kaashi!” 

It was adorable, absolutely _adorable_ , to hear Bokuto’s usually passionate tone filtered through such a tired tongue. Especially when he was asking Akaashi for something to put the food in, saying that he’d just package it up if Akaashi had to get going right away. So Akaashi handed him a small container, and Bokuto transferred everything from the pan to the tupperware. 

Without really thinking, Akaashi kissed the alpha’s cheek, and took the opportunity to run his fingers through his hair while Bokuto continued to fiddle with the tupperware. “You’re always so good to me, Bokuto.” 

“Well sure,” Bokuto yawned again, finally getting the lid to close, “I love you.” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened—completely awake. Had he heard that correctly? 

Bokuto gave another yawn, shuffling over to him and nuzzling the omega’s neck. “Have a good day at work.” 

Akaashi nodded, his breath hitching, heart pounding from the words that had come far too easily from the alpha. Not knowing what else to do, Akaashi just shook his head, and nuzzled Bokuto back. 

“Please, stay as long as you want. You must be really tired…” 

“Mmm…” Bokuto nodded, “I’ll walk you out, then I’ll probably pass out again.” 

“Ok,” the omega nodded, chest swelling and cheeks heavy with blush. 

The goodbye was a short one, Bokuto giving him a quick kiss and a nuzzle to his nose, but the action filled Akaashi with so much warmth that even after he’d closed and locked his door, he was trembling with such an overload of emotion that he didn’t really know what to do with himself. 

Which is why he did the only thing he really _could_ do, and that was head to work. 

So with obnoxious giddiness and a stupidly large love-drunk smile on his face, Akaashi began his Monday morning, walking over to his bakery with what could only be described as a spring in his ever-happy steps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look the tags changed~
> 
> It's 2am and I hate myself but this chapter is done and if this week of midterms didn't kill me this chapter sure did. Over 7k guys. This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written for a fic and I kind of hate it because it took me all day lol. Plus I feel like nothing really happens. But at the same time SO MUCH happens. Ugh. Idk. It's 2am. Did I say that already? Also wow like nearly 900 kudos on this story, thank you guys seriously. And to all those who bookmarked it, even though the grand majority who have this bookmarked don't comment but whatever.
> 
> To the people who do comment though, thank you. Idk how else to phrase it. But I do recognize you guys, like you all pretty religiously comment on my fics with every update, and it's just so nice to see, and it gives me the warm fuzzies, and I really I just can't put it into words. There's like a solid 20 of you who do this and it just takes me over the moon. I know your usernames and its just really nice reading and replying to all your comments *ugly sobbing*
> 
> To the other 880 of you who *don't* comment, I hope you're enjoying it? Who knows. Not me. I would if you told me though. See how that works?~~ Anyways. Sorry. It's 2am. I feel weird about this chapter. But I think it's just cuz it's 2am. Bokuto makes me happy. 
> 
> I'm gonna go pass tf out now.


	16. Chapter 16

Overwhelming, was the only real word Oikawa could come up with. Just completely overwhelming. And even without that absolutely _ridiculous_ smile the alpha had on his face, Tooru could take a sure enough guess. 

“Ok,” he began with a sly smirk, “I forgive you for turning your phone off.” 

Dumb laughter was the only reply he got, Bokuto sliding into the seats by the kitchen counter. “God Tooru it was—amazing. _He’s_ amazing…” He continued on, in a weird mumbly string of praise that not even Tooru could make out, to the point where Bokuto was squealing happily like a girl, covering his reddened cheeks with his hands. 

Tooru managed a roll of his eyes. “Did you even shower before coming here? You’re dripping his scent—”

Bokuto held up two fingers, grinning wildly. “It was two days ago.” 

Oikawa made a face, “What was two days ago?” 

“Our first time!” Bokuto whispered excitedly, conscious of the fact that Eiji was upstairs, “But his scent hasn’t faded at all! Isn’t that awesome!” 

The omega let out a nervous chuckle, “I don’t know about that…” 

The alpha sighed romantically, letting his head fall to the counter, “I love him.” 

“I’m sure you do.”

“I’m serious! Tooru, this is—he’s the one.” 

A hopeless kind of smile fell on the omega’s face, because this definitely wasn’t the first time he’d heard this sort of thing from the alpha before. “Ok, well, you’ve been dating all of three months so how about you wait a bit more before running off into the sunset together.” 

Bokuto chuckled, “I know what I’m doing this time. And I don’t mind waiting. Besides, you’re one to talk—”

“That was a long time ago—”

“Bonding in—was it two weeks? Did you even know his full name—”

“It was a _month_ thank you very much,” Oikawa provided, “And for your information…” his voice trailed off, Oikawa losing his train of thought. He was going to say that his relationship with Kaito had lasted well over five years. 

But it had ended, hadn’t it?

“Well we all know how that worked out,” he cleared his throat, “So better if you take things slow with Akaashi and see if this is what you both really want.” 

“Is that what you’re doing with Iwaizumi?” 

Oikawa reddened, all the way up to the tip of his ears, rummaging through the fridge to try and look busy, “That’s—completely unrelated to the subject at hand—”

“Uh oh,” Bokuto teased, “You, _nervous_? You must really like this guy—”

“Well maybe I do!” He yelled (not intentionally), slamming lettuce—did he need lettuce?—onto the counter, “What’s wrong with that!” 

Bokuto sat back, a satisfied smile on his face, “Not a damn thing.” Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything after that, but the words found themselves tumbling out of his mouth regardless. “You don’t think about him anymore do you? Kaito, I mean.” 

It definitely caught Oikawa off guard, but he answered anyway, giving a soft smile and shaking his head. “You of all people know how hard it was. Especially that first year. But…no. Not anymore. Besides I wouldn’t have let Iwa—”

“I know,” Bokuto smiled, “I think that’s what surprised me the most.” 

“Anyway,” Oikawa tried smoothly, deciding he could make use of the lettuce, “You should probably figure out how to tone the scent down.”

“Why the hell would I wanna do that?” 

“Because you smell like a prostitute, Koutarou.” 

“Ok, see now. Now you’re just being mean.” 

“I could’ve called you a whore,” he shrugged

“ _Hey_ now—”

They both ended up laughing, but quickly bit their tongues, when they heard scurrying feet run down the stairs. Eiji sped all the way into the kitchen, but came to a sudden halt, looking up at his uncle, and then up at his mom. 

“Hey there, kiddo.” Bokuto reached out to ruffle the young alpha’s hair, and Eiji accepted it, staring at him all the while with wide, curious eyes. Finally, he looked over at his mother.

“Why does Uncle Bokuto smell like Mr. Akaashi?” 

Part of him wondered why his son didn’t just ask the alpha directly, but he didn’t really want to think about it, because he didn’t trust whatever Bokuto might come up with, so before the alpha could say anything, Oikawa managed to scream at his own kid. 

“They scented!” He smiled widely, a fake kind of smile that almost hurt his cheeks, “When people scent they smell like each other, you know that, Eiji.” 

Eiji blinked, looking at Bokuto and then making a face, “But it smells different! Uncle Bokuto _really_ smells like Mr. Akaashi—”

Bokuto gave an obnoxiously loud yawn, which was enough to break the flow of the conversation. “What’s for dinner?” 

The young alpha ignored it, leaning into the counter to ask his mother another question. “Will you scent Mr. Iwa, Mommy? Are you gonna smell like him too?” 

Oikawa stiffened, laughing softly, “Um, well, we’ve scented a bit, haven’t we? I think Mr. Akaashi just has a stronger scent.”

“But Mr. Iwa has a strong scent too!” 

Oikawa wanted to die. 

“Alright,” Bokuto grabbed Eiji, putting him on his lap, “That’s enough questions for today. You’ll figure all that out when you’re older.” 

“But when Mommy scents me it never smells that strong.” 

“That’s because we’re family, Eiji,” Oikawa said kindly, “We already smell a lot like each other. And since we’re always together, our scents are always mixing. Does that make sense?” 

He seemed to consider that for a bit, while his uncle bounced him on his leg, and his mom washed the lettuce. 

Looking up at Bokuto, Eiji pouted his lips ever so slightly, the way he always did whenever he was hesitating to ask something. 

Bokuto nodded at him, “What is it?” 

Eiji hummed hesitantly, turning all his attention to Oikawa. “Mommy, if I scent Shinji, will I smell like him?” 

“Whoa, slow down there Lightening McQueen,” Bokuto wagged a finger, “You’re _wayyy_ to young to be talking about scenting an _omega_ —”

“Your scent glands aren’t mature enough for that sort of thing, Eiji,” Oikawa replied calmly, much more calmly than Bokuto had expected, “You have to wait until you’re older.” 

Eiji seemed to think about that for a bit, before looking up at his uncle and asking him to help him onto his own high stool. Bokuto did just that, so the little alpha could contemplate it all on his own. “Shinji smells really nice,” he said finally, absently. 

“Is that why you like him?” Bokuto teased. 

Eiji looked at him, crossing his brows with a rather serious expression on his face, “He’s my best friend.” 

Bokuto smirked, “I thought Kento was your best friend.” 

Eiji shifted, “Kento is my best alpha friend. And Shinji is my best omega friend.” 

“Can you have both?”

“I can!” 

“Okay you two,” Oikawa sighed, finding this all rather adorable but pointless just the same, “No fighting before dinner.” 

“What’re we eating Mommy?”

Oikawa shrugged, not really knowing himself, “Japanese tacos.” 

“The heck is a Japanese taco?” 

“Oh, like you won’t eat it,” Oikawa accused jokingly, pointing the spatula in his direction, but his eyes widened, as if coming to sudden realization, “Oh! That reminds me! Can you watch Eiji this Friday? I’ve got that welcome party—”

“I wish I could. But we’re having that beer event—”

Oikawa’s face filled with dread, “But my parents can’t. They’re gonna be out—”

Bokuto gave a wicked smile, “You could ask Iwaizumi.” 

The omega deadpanned, “Absolutely not.” 

“I want Mr. Iwa to babysit!” 

“Hush, Eiji—”

“Tooru if you don’t trust him with Eiji by now then—”

“It’s not that,” Oikawa managed, shaking his head, “I do trust him. It’s just…” 

Bokuto lifted his brow, “What?” 

“Mommy can Mr. Iwa babysit?”

“Shh, Eiji, Mommy and Uncle are talking, can’t you see?” 

“But I want Mr. Iwa to babysit!”

“Ok, sweetheart, we’ll figure something out.” He walked around, picking Eiji up off the stool and putting him on the ground, “We have to check and see if he’s busy first.” 

“And if he’s not then he can babysit?”

Oikawa bent down, tapping his son on the nose, “Then he can babysit. Why don’t you run upstairs so Mommy can talk to your Uncle before dinner?” 

Eiji rocked back on his heels, holding his hands behind his back, “Is it adult stuff?”

“It sure is,” Oikawa smiled kindly, motherly. 

“But, I’m already four, Mommy!” 

Oikawa laughed, before straightening and giving his son a kiss on the head, “That you are, Ei-chan. Come on, if you let us talk for a bit I’ll let you watch two shows before bed.” 

That seemed to be all the incentive Eiji needed, because he dashed up the stairs faster than he managed to come down them in the first place. 

Oikawa let out a sigh, sitting down next to his friend. 

“Must be pretty serious, if Eiji can’t be in the room.” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Come on,” Bokuto patted him on the back, “I’m sure he’ll do fine.” 

Oikawa shook his head, “It’s not that. Sometimes he’s better with Eiji than I am. But…” His voice trailed off, his sentence rendered incomplete. 

“Tooru?” Bokuto leaned in, “What is it?”

Oikawa inhaled, sucking in his lips, “You know how hard it is to watch him…if Iwa gets put off…” 

“I think he can handle it.” 

Oikawa looked at him with hesitant eyes, not meeting the alpha’s gaze. 

“It’s more than that?” Bokuto tried.

The omega gave a scoff of a smile, his voice trembling slightly, “I’m scared,” he admitted. 

Bokuto stiffened, crinkling his features, resting his arm on the counter, “…of something happening to Eiji?” 

Oikawa shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, “I just—have this horrible feeling—once he’s alone with Eiji he won’t want to…like he’ll realize…” 

“Tooru,” Bokuto said gently, “For the millionth time, this guy knows what he’s getting into.” 

Oikawa looked at him, but said nothing, which only made Bokuto sigh. “If he decides to break it off after babysitting for one night, then he’s not the guy we thought he was, and the sooner we’re rid of him the better, right?” 

Oikawa nodded. 

He punched the omega lightly on the arm, “You’re really falling for this guy, you know?” 

Oikawa stood up with a lifeless sigh, patting his hands on his pants and getting to work on the tacos again, “Yeah.” 

The alpha’s ears perked up, blinking and wondering if he’d heard that correctly. Still, he couldn’t help but smile. 

At least Tooru was admitting it now.

* * *

 

Akaashi was curled up on his couch, settled in with the book he’d failed to buy on Sunday, but miraculously had shown up on his bedside table when he got back from work that Monday. 

This was bad. If it continued like this, then surely he’d get used to getting spoiled by the alpha. But for now, he figured it was ok. 

His doorbell rang, and his heart skipped a beat, thinking that maybe it was the alpha himself, even though he knew Bokuto was working this evening. Still, that didn’t stop him from rushing to his door, and practically throwing it open. 

“Geez, where’s the fire?”

“Teru!” 

The omega pushed his way inside, kicking off his shoes and trudging until he got to the couch. 

“Ho-ly shit. You fucked him, didn’t you?” 

“I—“ Akaashi didn’t really know what to say, just sat down on the couch next to him, trying to get a better look at his friend’s face, “Teru, were you crying?” 

He was waved away, Terushima shrugging nonchalantly, “I got in a fight with Ushi.” 

“Was it serious? Did you let him know you were coming—”

Terushima scoffed, “Please. He knows exactly where I am. He always does,” he rolled his eyes, “But enough about me! It smells like _alpha_ in here,” he sniffed the air, as if to make a point, “And it smells _good~”_

Akaashi reddened, biting his lip to hide his smile. “Yeah, he…we did—”

Yuuji _squealed,_ “Did you suck his dick?!”

“Teru—!”

“Did you?” He sat up eagerly, awaiting an answer.

Akaashi groaned, grabbing a pillow and shoving his face into it, “I did!” 

“Ahh!!!” Terushima smacked Akaashi’s thighs, “How was it—how was he? Was he gentle? I swear to god Akaashi if he wasn’t—”

“No, no,” Akaashi hugged the pillow to his chest, “He was really…sweet.” 

Terushima gave a knowing smirk, cupping his chin in his palm, “Sweet, huh?” 

“He made me breakfast, the next morning—”

“No kidding—”

“And the book I wanted, he bought it—”

“Did he now—”

“I didn’t know alphas could be like that—”

“Keiji. I’m _so_ happy you’re happy but can we please get to the dirty and then we can talk about the sweet stuff?” 

“You’re so _crude—_ ”

“I wanna know! You deserve to have good sex, you know!” 

Blush lined the tops of Akaashi’s cheeks. “It didn’t hurt…when…he…” he murmured, his voice trailing off.

“You took his knot!?”

He nodded excitedly. 

“Holy shit!” Terushima laughed, slapping Akaashi’s thigh again, “You slut ohmygod! Get it!” 

“It was just—it was the heat of the moment—”

“It was the heat of a _lot_ of things I’m sure—“

“Yuuji, I’m serious. This is the first time…he was very kind to me.” 

The couch sunk slightly as Terushima put all his weight against the back of it, smiling as he looked up at Akaashi. “I’m happy for you.” 

Akaashi tugged at his fingers. “He kissed me a lot. I think he just likes kissing, though. And we scented all the way through,” he cleared his throat, “Even after we left the hotel—”

Terushima dropped his dreamy stare, sitting up and nearly grabbing Akaashi by the shoulders. “A hotel?? You didn’t say anything about that!”

“It was—well it’s a long story—”

Akaashi was forced to tell it, in full detail, Terushima sitting and listening happily all the while, throwing in a few snide remarks here and there. But for the most part, it was a lot of excited squealing and blubbering blushes. Terushima got hungry halfway through, so Akaashi made some snacks, going on and on about Bokuto and the absolute _rush_ he got when the alpha punched his ex-boyfriend in the face. 

“I seriously can’t believe it. That guy doesn’t seem like the violent type.” 

The omega shook his head, “He’s not. But I think it was just because—well you know how anxious I get.” 

“This is great,” Teru acknowledged, “And you know I support you a million percent. But I still think it wouldn’t hurt to get him fully checked out.” 

Akaashi’s face hardened, “I trust him.” 

“You said that about the past two guys—”

“I don’t want you or Ushijima getting involved. I’ve said it before—”

“I know I know but that’s not really getting involved. It’s just using the resources you have at hand to your advantage!” Terushima smiled brightly, cocking his head eagerly at his friend. 

“Thank you,” Akaashi plucked at the pillow in his lap, “But I’ll have to refuse.” 

Teru hummed at that, before glancing at the clock and sighing. “Well, ok. Can’t say I didn’t try. Anyway,” he flopped down on the couch, “Can I stay here tonight?” 

“Won’t Ushijima be worried?” 

He avoided Akaashi’s gaze, “No.” 

“I’m sure he worries even if you say he doesn’t.” 

“There’s no room for him to worry. He knows where I am, so it’s fine.”

“What did you two fight about?” 

He shrugged, “Same thing as always. Can I stay here or not?” 

Akaashi nodded, standing up and stretching, “I’ll lay out the futon. But you really should try and speak to him—”

“You speak to him! It’s like talking to a rock—”

The doorbell rang, and both omegas locked eyes, Terushima’s filled with more panic than Akaashi’s were. 

“Don’t open it—”

“I have to—”

“Akaashi, please—I really don’t want to see him—”

“Well I don’t want him breaking the door down like last time—”

“I had it fixed—!”

“That’s not the point!” 

The bell rang again, and Akaashi went over to answer it, upon which Terushima made a run for the bathroom. 

Akaashi didn’t know why, but whenever he was met with Ushijima Wakatoshi, he felt the need to bow in greeting. 

“Good evening,” he began, but wasn’t allowed much more than that. 

“My fiance has caused you trouble.” 

It wasn’t a question.

“Not at all,” Akaashi countered, “We were just chatting and catching up—”

“I will be taking Yuuji back now.” That tone didn’t allow for objections. 

The omega cleared his throat, “He’s in the bathroom—”

Ushijima didn’t ask, which was sort of rude, especially considering the alpha didn’t even bother to take off his shoes before entering. He gave Akaashi’s bathroom door two heavy pounds. 

“Yuuji.” 

“I’m taking a piss!” 

_“Yuuji.”_

“I’ll be back tomorrow—so just—”

Two more pounds, “You will come home tonight.” 

“I’m not your property!” Came the shout through the door, “You don’t _own_ me _Your Royal Highness—_ ”

“I think it would be best,” Akaashi interjected, “If you gave him his space—”

He was stared down at, sharp brown eyes nearly cutting through him, “Do not meddle in affairs that do not concern you.” 

“Leave Keiji alone he didn’t do anything!” Terushima opened the door, allowing the alpha in, “You’re such a brute—“ he looked down, noticing the alpha’s stance, “You didn’t even take off your shoes! What the hell kind of respect—”

A hand was placed over the omega’s mouth, and Ushijima stepped in, before the door was closed once more. 

From the other side, Akaashi could hear Terushima’s complaints of _you didn’t even notice,_ and something about how he’d gone through _all that pain for nothing_ and _what’s the point of a wedding if you’re like this,_ all of which Ushijima seemed to take silently, as far as Akaashi could tell, and all of which was followed by Terushima’s heavy sobbing. But that was immediately followed by the scent of an alpha’s soothing pheromones. 

It was heavy, and it wafted through the apartment, but it was to be expected, considering the kind of man—the kind of alpha—Ushijima was. Even Akaashi felt at ease, and he had no connections to the alpha whatsoever. 

Eventually, they both came out of the bathroom, and Ushijima bowed formally in front of Akaashi, apologizing much in the same way he’d done when he’d broken down his door. Akaashi waved his hands, saying it was fine, so long as Terushima was ok. 

Terushima nodded shyly, leaning into his alpha with red, swollen eyes. “Yeah,” he said, sounding small and vulnerable, in a way that was completely unlike him, “We’re fine. Sorry you had to hear all that.” 

Ushijima apologized again, saying he was sorry for disturbing Akaashi’s night, his hand protectively wrapped around Teru’s waist as he spoke. 

At the very least, Yuuji looked calmer, now. 

Akaashi showed them out, and found himself sighing once they were out of the apartment. The only thing he really knew about Ushijima was that he was the only person capable of making Terushima cry. But he was also the only person who was able to calm him down. So Akaashi figured that was a good enough balance. Especially when one considered how fast Yuuji was to run away. 

Maybe because he knew Ushijima would always find him.

* * *

 

“Thank you, you saved me,”

Iwa chuckled into the phone. Oikawa would be lying if he said that sound didn’t make his breath catch in his throat.

“It’s no problem. I love spending time with Eiji.” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa played with the hem of his shirt, “Yeah, he really likes spending time with you too…a-and this’ll be good I think for you guys…you know…” 

Was it weird to say he could _hear_ Iwaizumi’s smile? “I’m looking forward to it.” 

“Oh um, actually I was also wondering—well Eiji was wondering—I mean I’d want you there too of course—” 

God _why_ was he so bad at this—

“There’s a um extra ticket. For Disney. If you want to come.” 

There was a fraction of a pause, and Oikawa panicked, “You don’t have to. I was just throwing it out there. Theme parks are always really crowded and—”

“I’d love to.” 

Oikawa couldn’t breathe, “Really?”

“Yeah. So long as I’m not working. I think it’d be fun.” 

“Ok,” Oikawa nodded, which was _stupid,_ because there was no one there to _see_ him nodding, “Great! So we can work out the dates and stuff later. I have to see when I’m off work too…”

“Sounds good. Wanna have dinner sometime this week?” 

“Um—”

“Thursdays work, right? I can bring the food.” 

The omega smiled, relaxing into the alpha’s pace. “Yeah,” he said quietly, “Thursday sounds great.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys guys! GUYS!! I passed my japanese midterm with an A!!! Both the oral and the written portions!!! Ahhhhh *flails* I'm so happy. Thanks to everyone who wished me well on my midterms! Honestly I have no idea how the hell I had time to write this chapter but I'm glad the flow was there ^o^ Idk if next week's will be on time but I'm gonna try to make sure it is! Like uhhh 960 kudos?? Is that a joke?? And over 330 subscribers?? Does that mean every time I update a chapter 330 of you get notified?? What the actual fuck! That makes my heart happy! You guys are awesome thank you for all the support you guys mean the world to me ^o^
> 
> Also help I've fallen in love with Ushijima and I don't know what to do. Also Also, there is a little something called foreshadowing, children. I do wonder if anyone caught it.
> 
> Comments are very much appreciated :) Thank you guys <3


	17. Chapter 17

_“Can I have the blue one?”_

_The young alpha had said nothing so Yuuji took it upon himself to swap their popsicles._

_Blue definitely tasted much better than red. And it’s not like Ushijima seemed to care either way. Had just stood there looking stupid with a popsicle in his hand, melting slowly in the summer heat._

_“Yuuji!!” His mom came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron, “That one belongs to Wakatoshi-kun! He asked for the blue one!”_

_“But he doesn’t mind!”_

_“Did he say he didn’t mind?” His mom was already taking the popsicles hostage, rewarding the young alpha with both the red and blue one._

_“Well how am I supposed to know!” Teru had stomped his feet, crossed his arms in a tantrum like way that only children did, “He’s too quiet for an alpha!”_

Terushima’s head fell forward and then shot back, waking him up with a sudden _jolt._

His arm was squeezed, Ushijima’s nose nuzzling his hair, “I told him to drive carefully…” 

“It’s fine,” Terushima replied before becoming fully aware of where he was, leaning into Ushijima again and letting his eyes flutter close. It’d been a long time since he’d had a dream like that.

Ushijima’s hands were warm against his arm. Strong and sure, in a way that made the omega feel completely at ease. Teru yawned. 

“If you keep doing that I’ll fall asleep again.” 

Ushijima nuzzled him further, affirming that having him fall asleep would indeed be a good thing. 

Terushima shook his head, linking his fingers around the alpha’s. This felt nice. He exhaled, thinking he should finally say his piece about it. 

“I don’t wanna fight anymore,” he said quietly. 

“That is impossible.” Ushijima returned it almost immediately.

Terushima took in a _very_ large inhale, because he didn’t want to have to explain yet _again_ that not everything was as literal as Ushijima interpreted it to be. 

“Yes,” he breathed through his nose, “I know—”

“So long as I continue to make mistakes you will continue to make me aware of them.” 

It caught him off guard, but only just, and he turned to look at Ushi, the alpha’s eyes as serious as ever. Finally Ushi turned, to meeting Teru’s gaze, “That, you’ve never failed to do. But I will request again that you stop running away when we disagree.” 

“You _know_ I need my space—”

“And _you_ know how dangerous distance can be.” 

“Hanzo was tailing me like always. I’m telling you you worry too much. Besides, Akaashi isn’t dangerous.”

“It’s not Akaashi I’m worried about—”

“And I told you to be nice! He’s one of my only friends. At least take off your shoes—”

“You were my only priority—”

“Toshi—”

“Yuuji.” 

That was the end of that. Terushima sighed, leaning into his alpha again, and nuzzling his shoulder. Some things were left better off as they were. When it came to Terushima’s safety, there wasn’t much that would be enough to sway the alpha. So instead, Teru decided it’d be best to change the topic altogether, rather than get into a mother fight. 

“I had a nostalgic dream,” he told him. 

Ushijima’s hands had taken to stroking the omega’s hair again, “What of?” 

“Do you remember the first summer we met? When my mom gave us popsicles?”

“Yes.”

“When my mom yelled at me. Because I stole your popsicle.” 

Ushijima gave a low chuckle, a deep rumble of a sound that matched the heavy rolling of the car’s engine. “Too silent for an alpha, is that what it was?” 

The omega made a face, crossing his arms, “Well you _were_ ,” he defended, letting his voice trail off into a murmur, “I just didn’t know silent meant _deadly_.” 

“I’d yet to kill anyone back then.” 

Terushima’s lips flattened to a thin line, “The fact that you say it so easily should be disturbing.” 

“Is it?” 

Terushima hummed, avoiding the question all together. “Remember after you came back? When we were in high school—”

The alpha’s eyes widened at the memory, low purrs starting to vibrate against his chest, “That was quite the summer—”

It took all Teru had to not start to purr himself, because being sixteen with hormones still-not-under-control had been a marvelous thing to experience with the alpha. He pecked Ushijima’s lips, “To think it started off by you almost killing my boyfriend—”

“He touched you—”

“He was my _boyfriend—”_

The alpha pulled his omega in closer, murmuring deeply, “It was only a warning.” 

Terushima couldn’t stop the curl of his lips, “Still. He could’ve died, you know.”

The alpha relaxed, leaning back against his seat, “He didn’t.”

“Ushi.”

“Yuuji,” there was a smirk tugging at the alpha’s lips, when he looked over at his omega, taking his lips hostage. It caused a purr to swell in the omega’s chest, happy hums filling the back of the car. 

“You know you’re kind of over-protective.” 

“I have to be.”

“I’m not a kid, you know,” he wanted to say more, but the way Ushi trickled his fingers along Terushima’s scent glands had his words cutting off in an awkward inhale. 

“Until my bite claims your neck I can’t be certain.” 

Shivers ran down all the way to Terushima’s toes. The thought of Ushijima marking him always gave him a strange kind of pleasure, one that started and itch at the pit of his stomach and formed whines at the base of his throat. 

But until they formed an official union, the alpha wasn’t allowed. 

“Hey,” Teru cupped the alpha’s cheeks, forcing him to look at him, “I know I run a lot but that’s only cuz I know you’ll follow,” he swallowed, “Actually I think most of the time it’s just to make sure—”

He tensed up, feeling the tears start to swell up again. 

Ushijima pulled him in, nuzzling his cheek with closed eyes, “My father has no say. He’s no longer the alpha.” 

“But your family still—and everyone under you—”

“An alpha-omega bond is the strongest kind. Only a fool would say otherwise—”

“It’s got nothing to do with the bond—if I don’t—if my genes—”

“It has never been a requirement,” Ushijima affirmed, “To have an alpha take over the group.” 

Terushima closed his eyes, letting himself be eased by his alpha’s touch. 

“I know,” he inhaled, “but—”

“My mate will be who I decide. And I’ve long since decided on you.” 

Terushima let his head fall into the alpha, murmuring against his chest. It wasn’t the first time Ushi had said something along those lines. But Terushima needed to hear it nonetheless.

“You’re too blunt about things, you know.” 

“Is that a complaint?” 

He lifted his head, “Merely an observation.” He said flatly, mimicking the alpha’s usual monotone. 

Ushijima smirked at that. 

The car rolled to a stop, and moments after the door was opened for them, Ushijima stepping out first, and then holding out his hand to help Terushima out. 

They walked—were escorted— to the front of the house, where the usual greeting was given, all eyes on the alpha-omega pair until they were in their own room.

Ushijima dismissed Hanzo, shrugging off his coat and saying he could take care of it himself, and it wasn’t until the door closed that Terushima decided to speak up again. 

“So, something a bit off topic…” he began, somewhat aimlessly.

“Yes?”

“I know you’re really busy—”

“But?” Ushijima replied flatly, unbuttoning the cuff of his sleeve.

Terushima smiled, “I was wondering if you could look into someone for me.” 

He stopped his motions, looking at Teru, before beginning to work on the other cuff, “The new boyfriend?”

“Astute, as always.” 

“Give me a name.” 

“Bokuto Koutarou. He owns a bar in—”

“Roppongi.” Ushijima finished the sentence before the omega had a chance. Teru stared at him with half an open mouth that curled into a confused sort of smile. 

“You’re scary, you know that?” 

“You say that but you don’t sound surprised.” The alpha finished taking off his shirt, revealing the two columns of ink that claimed the front of his chest, snaking over his shoulders and down to the middle of his forearms.

It always made Teru’s heart skip a beat. 

“Be conspicuous though, babe.”

“That’s a given even without you saying so.”

“Still—”

“What is it you want to know?”

“Just...what kind of man he is, that’s all. I wanna make sure Keiji doesn’t fall into the same shit again.” 

“That won’t be difficult to do.”

Terushima stood on his tiptoes to kiss the alpha’s cheek. “Thank you.” 

Only, Ushijima didn’t let him go. Wrapped his arm around his waist so that he was stuck on his tiptoes, their kiss deepening with every given moment. 

It was said that soul bonds didn’t exist. But if someone were to ask Terushima, he’d say that that sort of thing didn’t apply to them. Because bonded or not, there was nothing that could ever compete with the way he felt, when Ushi pressed his lips against his own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter is so short! Don't point it out, because I wrote it, so I'm already aware! ;D 
> 
> We will return to our regularly scheduled programming shortly. 
> 
> Basically I didn't like the flow when I combined it with the other stuff so I figured it'd be best to keep this as it's own stand alone chapter. And guess what people, when you're reading real books some chapters are short as hell sooo...deal with it. 
> 
> That said though, I am trying really hard to get the next chapter out by the end of this weekend, so you guys get two updates for the price of one ^^ Also, WE BROKE 1K KUDOS!! Thank you for all your support you guys!!!!
> 
> Ok so basically idk anything about yakuza. I can't really write it either so this is about as much into it as I'll go. I just really wanted to include it because this kinda thing really does happen in mundane everyday life which is so weird to think about but like it fits and it adds a bit of spice. But UshiTeru will remain a side pairing and I won't be going really any deeper than this. If you want a real yakuza AU then I suggest Wicked Games because it's amazing and deserves a lot more praise! 
> 
> Oh and someone mentioned wanting to reach out to me on tumblr? You guys know you can totally do that right? I don't bite unless it's your kink~
> 
> Anyways. Comments are always appreciated. Thank you again for all the love and hope you all have a happy weekend ^o^


	18. Chapter 18

Iwa was sort of surprised, when the one who opened the door was Bokuto, and not Oikawa. 

He’d been looking forward to seeing Oikawa. 

“Hey man,” Bokuto nodded his head in greeting, “Dinner’s almost done, so you can just give it to him once the rice is ready.” 

Eiji was right there at Bokuto’s heels, happily greeting Mr. Iwa and informing him that they were having hamburger steak for dinner. 

“Sounds delicious.” 

“If you need anything just call me or Oikawa. Eiji pretty much knows where everything is though. Bedtime is 7:30,” the alpha looked at his nephew, “ _Right,_ Eiji?” 

Eiji nodded dismissively, giving off a mischievous kind of smile. 

Bokuto turned to Iwa, keeping his voice low, “You probably won’t get him in bed at that time. Whenever Oikawa is late he tends to stay up, so don’t worry about it.” 

Iwa nodded.

“Oh, but regardless, he’ll need his milk at around 9. That’ll be your saving grace cuz it makes him sleepy.”

“Got it.” 

“But yeah, remote for the tv is on the table, bedroom is upstairs,” Bokuto patted his pockets, as if they would remind him of something, “And spare key,” he pulled it out of his shirt pocket and offered it to him, but pulled back at the last moment, “Oikawa will ask for it back though.”

Iwa smirked, “Sounds good.”

“Ok,” Bokuto nodded, “That should be it. Any questions?”

“I think I’m good,” Iwa smiled.

“Awesome. Then I gotta get to work,” he turned his head, calling out to Eiji again, “I’m heading out little man!” 

Eiji came running into his uncle’s arms in a bit of a tackle, throwing in a bit of a nuzzle. 

“Be good for Mr. Iwa, ok?”

“Yes, Uncle Bokuto.” 

Bokuto smiled, straightening and gesturing to Iwa, reminding him that it was fine for him to call if he needed help. 

Iwa assured him it’d be fine, and closed the door once he left. 

He took in a deep breath, clapping his hands together and turning around to greet Eiji again. 

“Ok!” He said, “Ready to—”

_Shit, where’d he go?_

“Mr. Iwa!” The sudden tugging on his pants nearly gave him a heart attack, “Do you wanna see my room?” 

“Sure,” he smiled, thankful he _hadn’t_ lost Eiji in all of two seconds, “Show me your room—” He was hardly able to finish off the last syllable, Eiji tugging at his hand and pulling him up the stairs. This was the second time Iwa had ever been upstairs, and the first time he’d ever really been in Eiji’s room. 

The amount of toys was almost picture worthy. 

At the same time though, he’d never seen a kids room that was so…organized.

“This one’s all my car stuff!” Eiji dragged him over to a drawer with four different cubbies, and he pulled them all out, revealing an abhorrent amount of Lightening McQueen products, a sprinkling of hot wheels, and some sort of orange tracks that Iwa figured belonged to the race track that was half-built on the other side of the room. 

“I also have this!” Eiji ran to the last cubby, that was apparently filled with dinosaurs. “He doesn’t talk but he’s still awesome! It’s called a T-Rex!” He offered it up to Iwa, shaking the doll, “Did you know that T-Rex _ate_ other dinosaurs?!” 

Iwa crouched down, taking the toy, “No way! He _ate_ them?” 

“Yeah!” Eiji began excitedly, “He was the bestest biggest dinosaur so he could do whatever he wanted!” 

“That’s crazy!” Iwa added enthusiastically, “No wonder his teeth are so big,”

“His teeth were huge!! And—did you know—sharks lose all their teeth?” 

“Sharks do?”

Eiji nodded, “But they grow back! So they can keep biting through really hard stuff! They lose their teeth like every—like every two weeks!”

Iwa was pretty sure that was wrong, but it’s not like he knew any better, so he just commented on how _cool_ that all was, and on how Eiji was so smart for knowing so many fun facts. 

“—And then over here,” he opened a drawer Iwa originally thought was meant for clothes, but was just another compartment for toys, “This is where we keep the food! Mommy plays grocery with me sometimes. And we cook and play restaurant!” 

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Iwa chuckled, picking up a plastic version of a lemon, “What kind of stuff do you like to cook?” 

A small _ding!_ came from downstairs, and Iwa had a small moment of panic, because he didn’t even bother to check on the food at all. 

“—and this is actually my dinosaur book but Mommy and I use it as our menu so you can just pick the stuff from here when you order—”

“Eiji, that’s super awesome,” Iwa put his hands on his knees, “How about you tell me all about it while we eat for real? I think the rice is done now.” 

“Yeah!” Eiji ran out of the room excitedly, going so quickly down the stairs Iwa thought he might just fall, “I can help!” 

Iwa caught up to him, wondering how someone with such short little legs could go so fast. 

“Alright,” he said, following Eiji’s lead into the kitchen, “Where are the plates?” 

“The adult ones are in that one,” Eiji pointed to the far left, “And mine are in the middle.” 

Iwa pulled out an “adult” plate, and an “Eiji” sized one as well, putting them down on the counter. He then grabbed an adult cup, and a smaller, brightly colored plastic one for Eiji.

“Not that one!” 

Iwa practically froze in his spot. 

“That one’s for milk!” Eiji took the cup from his hands, “It has the top. I need a _regular_ cup.” 

“Oh,” Iwa took the cup back, “Right. My bad.” 

He put it back in the cabinet, thinking that all the kiddie stuff looked exactly the same. “So, uh…” he looked over at Eiji, “Which one?”

Eiji pointed up, “Purple!” 

“Got it,” the alpha exhaled, thanking the gods there weren’t multiple purple colored cups. 

“Mr. Iwa, can I have juice?” 

“I don’t think you guys even have juice. Your mom doesn’t like it, remember?” 

“Then, let’s have soda! It’s in the fridge—”

“I think water would be better,” Iwa said, already filling up their cups, “That way we can taste more of the meat, right?” 

Eiji seemed somewhat reluctant, but he seemed to agree either way, which allowed Iwa another exhale of relief. 

He served them both, Eiji already settling himself in his spot at the dinner table. Iwa was going to sit across from him, but he figured it’d be better to sit next to him instead, in case anything happened. 

Iwa dug in first, murmuring his thanks, but stopped when he noticed how Eiji was looking at him. “What?”

Eiji pointed at his plate, “You have to cut my hamburger.” 

“Oh,” he swallowed, picking up Eiji’s knife and fork, “Right. Sorry.” 

Eiji waited patiently, swinging his legs back and forth while Iwa cut the meat. “Do you like fish Mr. Iwa?” 

“I do,” he nodded. 

“I like tuna the most!” 

Iwa chuckled, “I think I remember you telling me.” 

There was a lot to Eiji Iwa hadn’t really noticed before. There was no denying Eiji looked a lot like Oikawa. Most of it was definitely the hair. But there were also parts to him that _weren’t_ Oikawa. The curve of his nose, for example, was different. His hair was also darker, even if they were matched in terms of curls. And even though the young alpha was only four, Iwa could already tell he wouldn’t grow to be as tall as his mother. Not only that, but Eiji’s lips were a bit rougher than Oikawa’s, in a way that only really happened in alphas, be it male or female. 

Did he get that from his father, Iwa wondered.

The thought had him more irked than he really wanted to be, so he pushed it away for now, instead focused on how delicately Eiji was eating his food. When he complimented him on it, Eiji explained that Mommy was very picky about that sort of thing, because they couldn’t be _barbarians._

The vocabulary this kid whipped out sometimes. 

“Mommy says manners are important.”

“He’s right about that.” 

Surprisingly, Eiji was mostly quiet after that, eating his food rather silently, using both his hands whenever he reached for a drink from the purple cup. 

It was kind of adorable. 

Eventually though, Eiji started looking around, swinging his legs again, only just picking at his food, and focusing more on his water. “I’m done,” he said, looking up at Iwa. 

Half of his food was still left, but Iwa attributed part of that to his own failure of giving him a kid-sized portion. 

“You sure you don’t want anymore?” 

Eiji shook his head. 

“Ok,” Iwa said, wiping his own mouth with a napkin, having finished his plate, “I’ll put it in the fridge.” 

“Mr. Iwa,” Eiji asked, while Iwa was gathering up the plates, “Can we go to the park?” 

The alpha looked at him, hesitating slightly while he moved to put the plates in the sink. “I’m not sure about that…” 

“If I put on my shoes it’s fine!” 

“You don’t wanna watch a movie instead? Or we could play with your dinosaurs—”

“We can bring the T-Rex to the park!” 

“Ah—”

It was too late, because Eiji was already running up the stairs. Iwa figured he’d only have time to quickly put the hamburger steak into some tupperware before Eiji came back down. He could always do the dishes later. And the rice could stay in the cooker for now, so long as he unplugged it. 

But he barely even had time for _that,_ before Eiji was at his heels again, tugging at his pants and showing off the toys in his arms. “I have T-Rex and Lightening McQueen! They can have a battle at the sandbox!” 

Iwa inhaled, admitting defeat to himself, quickly tossing all the food into the first piece of tupperware he found, and throwing that in the fridge. 

“Ok but we can only play outside for a little. Then we gotta get you back and brush your teeth—”

“It’ll be fine!” Eiji ran to the front of the house, making Iwa’s heart beat fast, because he didn’t want Eiji to _open_ the front door, but the little alpha had just tossed his toys down in the entryway, trying to shove his sockless feet into some sneakers. 

“Whoa, hey hey,” Iwa crouched down, taking the shoe from him gently, “Slow down there, tough guy. You gotta put on your socks first.” 

“I don’t like socks.” He answered bluntly. 

Iwa had no idea what the fuck to say to that. 

“You don’t like socks?”

Eiji shook his head, grabbing his other shoe and putting it on, “They’re annoying.” 

For now, Iwa figured he’d just let it go, because at least he was putting his shoes on, so that was something. They were velcro, which meant Eiji could do it all on his own, which of course meant that the young alpha took the opportunity to show off how competent he was. 

Once that was settled they were off, climbing down the stairs, Iwa holding the T-Rex, per Eiji’s request. He stared at it, wondering when kid’s toys had gotten so detailed. 

“Say,” he waved the toy around, “You know who’s even cooler than T-Rex?” 

Eiji looked up at him with wide, shining eyes, as if Iwa were about to tell him the biggest of best-kept secrets. “Who!” 

Iwa smirked, tossing the toy up and down in his hand, “ _Godzilla.”_

Eiji blinked absently, looking at Iwa with a cock to his head, “What’s godzilla?” 

Nearly choking on his own spit, Iwa had to collect himself. “You don’t know who Godzilla is??” 

Eiji shook his head, a strange expression on his face, half caught between wanting to know more, and half disappointed for not knowing in the first place. “What is it?” 

“He’s like a—he’s a lizard.” 

Immediately, Eiji’s face contorted into one of disgust, “There’s no way a _lizard_ would beat T-Rex.” 

Iwa shook his head, “No, no. He’s like a _giant_ lizard. And he’s super strong and awesome and—you’ve really never seen the movies?”

Again Eiji shook his head. 

Iwa inhaled, nodding his head, “Ok. I’m gonna talk to your mom about that—”

He doubted Eiji heard, because he ran off, just then, towards the sandbox, carefully placing the Lightning McQueen car on the edge, so that it wasn’t quite touching the sand. 

“Mr. Iwa!” He called, waving, “Bring the T-Rex! They can have the battle here!” 

While Iwa made his way over, Eiji was drawing shapes in the sand that mimicked streets— or at least Iwa guessed they were streets— piling up random hills and a few other things, all of which Eiji quickly began to explain as one building or another, the largest lump of sand apparently Tokyo station. 

Thus began the game of Save Tokyo Station from The Dinosaur. Starring Lightning McQueen as Hero No. 1. 

The more the game escalated, the surer Iwa became. 

Yup. Eiji would definitely appreciate Godzilla. He’d have to bring the movies sometime. 

If it was ok with Oikawa, of course. 

Playtime lasted a lot longer than Iwa really thought it would, considering kids tend to jump from one thing to another relatively quickly, but it seemed that Eiji really got a kick out of knocking down the sand hills he made. 

But the sun was already starting to set. 

It took a bit of convincing, to pull Eiji away from his own imagination, but he managed, finally dragging the young alpha to the apartment. 

Just as Iwa turned the key to open the door, though, he stopped. 

“Wait.”

Eiji looked at him curiously, clutching his toys to his chest.

Iwa crouched down, “Here, give me those. Take off your shoes and shake out the sand.” 

“I don’t have sand in my shoes.” Eiji informed.

“I seriously doubt that,” Iwa said with a smile, offering his palm to hold the toys. 

Reluctantly, with a bit of a pout, Eiji kicked off his shoes, shaking them and watching as a string of sand came out. 

“Alright,” Iwa motioned with his hands, “Hold onto my shoulder, let’s get the sand off your feet.” 

He patted at the skin, shaking off as much sand as he could from both feet. If Eiji had just worn socks it would’ve been a lot easier. 

“Can we go in now Mr. Iwa?” 

He nodded, pushing himself up with his knees, opening the door. Eiji ran in, since he was already shoe-less, and Iwa was starting to wonder how the hell this kid still had so much energy left in him. 

“Ok, remember what Uncle Bokuto said!” He called out, hoping his voice would carry in the apartment, “Bedtime at 7:30!” 

“But I’m not tired!” Eiji insisted, “And we haven’t even watched tv!” 

“Well, it’s already,” Iwa glanced at his watch, “7:17. I don’t think we’ll have time for—“

“But I _always_ watch tv before bed!” 

Iwa inhaled, thinking quickly. “Ok, I’ll make you a deal. Let’s get you in pajamas, and brush your teeth. Then we can watch some tv, but only if you’ll go to sleep after.” 

“Deal!” Eiji was running up the stairs again, and Iwa had to run after him, desperately trying to keep up. 

“These are my pajamas!” Eiji yelled out in explanation, before Iwa was even in the room. That wasn’t a problem though, because the clothes were held up to Iwa’s face regardless, “They have cars on them!” 

“I’m sure those are your favorite,” Iwa smiled, “Do you need help putting them on—?”

“I can do it!” Eiji was already pushing past him, making his way into the bathroom and _slamming_ the door shut. Iwa wasn’t really sure what to do, so he just stood outside the bathroom door awkwardly, praying he wouldn’t hear any strange sounds coming from the other side of the door. When Eiji took just a _bit_ longer than what could be considered normal, he knocked on the door, asking if everything was alright. 

“I’m okay!” 

There was a flush of the toilet, and the door opened, Eiji saying he was ready to watch tv. 

“Did you wash your hands?” 

Eiji stopped for a moment, gasping like he’d forgotten a pie in the oven. He ran back into the bathroom, stepping onto his little stool to reach the sink and wash his hands. He didn’t bother with drying them, instead just ran past Iwa again, saying that _now_ he was ready for tv. 

They watched an episode of some sort of alien that traveled through space telling different stories with morals about sharing and being a good person or something. All Iwa could really focus on was the fact that the alien had a weird little glob of green as a pet that morphed into different things depending on the story that was being told.

Weird as fuck. 

But Eiji seemed to like it so whatever. 

The end of the program, of course, didn’t come without Eiji trying to negotiate just one more episode. 

“No, come on. We had a deal.” 

“But it’d only be one more Mr. Iwa!” 

“It’s already 7:50—”

The young alpha began to pout, clutching the remote to his chest. Iwa couldn’t help but chuckle, “Alright alright. Come on. We gotta get you in bed. That way you can have your milk later, right? Growing alphas need as much rest as they can get.” 

His grip on the remote loosened, “They do?” 

Iwa nodded, “Mhm. The more you sleep, the stronger you get.” 

Eiji kept his pout, thinking this new piece of information over in his head. Slowly, he put the remote down on the couch cushion, before jumping off the couch. “Ok!” He grabbed Iwa’s hand, dragging him upstairs again and into his room. 

“You don’t have to tuck me in until after my milk.” 

“Is that how your mom usually does it?” 

Eiji nodded, “Mommy says this is like a nap.” 

Iwa smiled. “Sounds just about right.” 

The young alpha climbed into bed, tossing the covers around and shimmying in, flopping over on his stomach. “Don’t close the door.” 

“Ok,” Iwa said, “I’ll leave it wide open. And I’ll be right downstairs when you wake up.” 

Eiji nodded, closing his eyes. 

Iwa slipped out as quietly as he could manage, thinking this was the first time he’d gotten in a solid breath all afternoon. Taking care of a kid was no joke. He had no idea how Oikawa did it every day. 

By himself, no less. 

He made his way downstairs, remembering he still had dishes to wash, so he set his sight on that. 

While he washed dishes, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander, letting them land mostly on how much this house smelled like Bokuto. It just made him want to scent Oikawa. Really, it shouldn’t have bothered him that much. But it was instinct; the smell of another alpha in his mate’s house—

Well. Oikawa wasn’t his mate. Not yet, anyway. But Iwa could wait. As long as Oikawa needed. Even if it did make his fangs ache. Besides, their current pace was something he kind of enjoyed. It let him get to know Oikawa better. And Oikawa him. 

Once he’d finished with the dishes and set them on the drying rack, he wondered if Oikawa would just wash them again anyway. 

Probably.

The thought alone was enough to put a smile to his face. 

He did a bit more tidying up around the kitchen and dinner table, anything to really keep himself busy while not being too invasive. Mostly he just admired the various photos Oikawa had put up around the house, only a select few of which included the omega. It was always really nice to see Oikawa smiling. Most were Eiji as a baby, though, a few of them more recent, a couple from some event where the whole family was present. 

No sign of a potential father figure. 

Iwa had a few theories. There was the classic asshole scenario. Dating and then leaving once they find out the omega is pregnant. There was the possibility that it could’ve been a one night stand gone horribly wrong. 

Or, the alpha could be dead. 

Which seemed about as likely as it was _unlikely._

But what the hell did Iwa know? It wasn’t like he could just go ahead and _ask,_ especially after saying he _wouldn’t_ ask. But the only thing that kept tugging at him was the fact that Oikawa had muttered a name when he first spent the night. Because you wouldn’t murmur the name of the asshole who got you pregnant and then left you in the dirt, right?

Maybe it wasn’t his old alpha, though. Maybe it had just been the name of some character on tv. Maybe it hadn’t been anything at all other than a slur of syllables from a sleepy omega. Iwa didn’t even really remember what Oikawa had even _said._

But _fuck_ Iwa wanted to know. To be sure. 

He was kinda hoping the alpha was dead though. 

Kinda. 

Time flew by kind of fast, with thoughts like that, and so before he knew it, Eiji was awake again, rubbing his eyes and asking for milk. 

“One cup of milk coming right up.” 

He reached for the cup he’d gotten the first time, pouring milk about thee-quarters of the way, pausing only just to put the cap back on the milk. Opening the cabinet again, he grabbed for a top part of the sippy cup,wondering if they were a one-size fits all kind of thing. But Eiji was already reaching for it, and before Iwa really had the chance to stop it from happening, the cup had slipped from his hands, splattering the kitchen floor in a flood of milk. 

Fuck.

“Uh oh.” Eiji stared at the mess, eyes locked on the floor. Iwa swallowed, trying to maintain his composure. “Ok,” he picked Eiji up, sitting him down on the counter, “Did you get wet?” 

Eiji shook his head, looking rather guilty. 

“What about your feet? Did you get milk on those?” Iwa lifted the alpha’s legs up, making a show of inspecting his toes, making jokes about stinky-milk feet. 

Little kids’ laughter had a way of warming hearts. 

Once Eiji’s mood was brightened, Iwa put his hands on his hips, “Ok. Where are the paper towels?” 

Eiji pointed to the opposite counter, where the paper towel rack was in plain view. Thirty-seven paper towels, twenty-eight sprays of kitchen cleaner, and a loss of motivation later, the floor was clean. 

“You could have used a mop,” Eiji said, feet dangling from the counter. 

The thought hadn’t even really crossed Iwa’s mind. “Well why didn’t you say that before?” He grinned widely, picking Eiji off the counter and putting him safely back on the ground, “Ok, wait until I have the cap on this time.” 

Eiji nodded, saying he would. “Are you gonna drink milk too, Mr. Iwa?” 

Really, he would’ve preferred the secret stash of wine Oikawa seemed to keep somewhere in the house, but he figured milk would have to do. 

“Sure,” he said, pulling out an adult glass, “I’ll have some too.” 

Once it was all settled, and the milk was back in the fridge, they headed over to the couch to drink their milk. Eiji kept scooting in closer and closer, until his head rested against Iwa’s arm. He drank his milk silently, obviously fighting heavy lashes. Iwa couldn’t help but smile, finding that kind of cute, wondering if it’d be weird to pat Eiji’s head, or rub the young alpha’s arm. He settled for pats on his arm. 

“Mr. Iwa…?” Sleepy murmurs were all he seemed able to manage. 

“What’s up?” 

Eiji took his time, drinking more milk, staring at his cup, before looking up at the older alpha. “Do you wanna marry Mommy?” 

Well. He should’ve seen that one coming.

He rubbed Eiji’s arm again. “Maybe. In the future. Those kinds of things take lots of time, Eiji. But your mom is a great person, and so are you.” 

“Mommy says,” he fought a yawn, “If we all love each other, then we can be a family.” 

Iwa nodded, unable to help the smile on his face, “Yeah. That’s exactly what a family is.” 

A small laugh came from the young alpha, before he nuzzled into Iwa’s shoulder again, and taking a few more sips of milk. 

It wasn’t long before Iwa heard soft little snores, though, the young alpha having fallen into an easy sleep. 

Something about that broke Iwa’s heart and healed it all at the same time. 

With measured patience, he carefully took the sippy cup from Eiji’s hands, putting it down on the coffee table. Trying his best not to move him too much, he picked up the four-year old, carrying him to his room as slowly and as quietly as possible. 

When he put him back in bed, Eiji stirred a bit, rolling over and grabbing at the blankets Iwa had covered him with. 

Resisting the urge to kiss him on the forehead—because it wasn’t _his_ kid after all— Iwa just brushed his hair back gently, and whispered a soft _goodnight,_ before leaving the room as quietly as he’d come in, remembering to keep the door open. 

It was 9:42. Oikawa said he’d be back at around 10 or so, which meant the only thing to really do now, was wait.

* * *

 

“I’m home!” Oikawa yelled into his apartment, slamming the door shut, “I’m sorry I’m so la—”

“Hey, hey—” Iwa whisper-shouted, holding a finger up to his lips, “He’s sleeping!” 

Eyes wide, Oikawa kicked off his shoes, looking around for Eiji, as if to confirm the fact, “He’s…sleeping?” 

Iwa nodded, “It’s already 11, you know.” 

“Yeah but even with my mom he never—you got him to sleep?”

Iwa blinked, “Yes? He had his milk at nine and everything. Was that not ok?” 

“No,” Oikawa shook his head, “No, no that’s great. I’m glad he’s asleep! No one’s ever really been able to…” his voice drifted, and so he cleared his throat, “I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

Iwa chuckled, “Nothing I couldn’t handle.” 

A weak smile spread over Oikawa’s lips, “I’m glad to hear it. Um, sorry again, for being so late—“

“It’s fine. Once he fell asleep I just started watching tv anyway.” 

Oikawa nodded, “Did you eat? Are you hungry? I could make us something real quick—”

“Thanks, I’m good though. You must be tired.” 

“Oh no—I mean yes but—it’d be no trouble—”

Somehow they’d moved in towards the center of the apartment, already in the living room. 

“How was the welcome party?” 

The omega shook his head, exhaling and taking a seat down on the couch, “Horrible. The chief can’t handle his alcohol at all. And somehow I’m always the one who has to take him home.”

“Sounds like a rough gig,” Iwa said with a smile, sitting down next to him. 

Oikawa rolled his eyes, letting out another tired sigh, and bending down to rub his feet, “Drunkards I can handle. Shoes, on the other hand, are murder.” 

Silently, Iwa grabbed him by the ankles, pulling his legs onto the couch and settling them on his lap. Oikawa tried to pull away,but Iwa had a pretty solid hold on him, even after he began rubbing the omega’s feet. 

“That’s—”

“I want to. Tell me about your drunk boss.” 

Oikawa shifted somewhat uncomfortably, but soon found it in him to relax. “Well he has a limit of one beer. After one he gets sleepy. But if he has more than that then he slips into this weird giggly drunk kind of thing where he starts moaning about how he didn’t make it as far as he did in his high school’s archery club. Which makes no sense because we’ve asked him when sober and the man’s never done archery in his life.” 

The low chuckle of a sound that was Iwa’s laughter made Oikawa’s face flush, which triggered the omega to scan his mind to see if he had any more funny stories he could provide to keep the sound going. 

“You know, you get kinda giggly when you’re drunk too.” 

Surprised eyes looked at the alpha, “Me?” 

Iwa nodded, a smile very much apparent on his face.

“No I don’t!”

“You really do. Even now you’re still kinda…happy.”

Oikawa gave a scoff of a laugh, “I only had a few beers.”

Iwa scoffed in return, “Only?” 

“And…a couple mixed drinks.”

“Just a couple, huh?”

“I’m tall!” Oikawa defended, “And a man!” 

“Your cheeks are still kinda flushed there,” Iwa said, waving his fingers around in his face.

Oikawa shook his head, laughing all the while, “That’s just because you’re here—”

He caught himself, nearly choking on his own spit. “That is—” he looked up at the alpha in panic, “I mean—”

His voice cut in a sharp kind of howl, Iwa pressing his thumb hard into the bottom of Oikawa’s foot. 

“Sorry—” Iwa stuttered immediately, “That—” he looked away, “You caught me off guard with that one.” 

Oikawa swallowed, licking his lips and tucking a bit of hair behind his ear, “You and me both.” 

A silly kind of smile fell on the alpha’s lips, as he kept massaging Oikawa’s feet, “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to talk like this.” 

The omega nodded, smiling in response, “Yeah. It’s kind of nice.” 

An awkward-ish kind of silence fell on them, so Oikawa blurted out the first thing that came to mind to fill it. 

“Thank you. I really do appreciate you looking after Eiji. If I knew babysitting came with complimentary foot rubs I’d have asked you a long time ago.” 

“No problem,” Iwa gave a silent smile, working his way up Oikawa’s leg, “You’re really tense you know.” 

He nodded, “It’s been that way for like four years now.” 

“That’s ridiculous,”

“That’s having a kid.”

It came out a lot harsher than Oikawa had intended, the words somewhat bitter in his mouth. 

Iwa kept on with his soothing strokes, “Well if you ask me, you’re doing an amazing job. Small price to pay for having such an amazing kid.”

Oikawa looked at him, nodding appreciatively, “Thank you.” 

“I had a lot of fun with him today.”

“I’m glad.” 

“Oh and I washed the dishes. They’re all on the drying rack though, so you can re-wash them at your leisure.”

Oikawa cackled at that, nodding his head, “Thank you."

“Oh, but honestly I’m not sure if Eiji brushed his teeth or not. He was in the bathroom for a while and—”

“That’s ok,” Oikawa waved his hand, “One night won’t kill him. He’s going through this _I can do everything myself_ stage.” 

“You know your kid doesn’t like socks?” 

Oikawa rolled his eyes, letting out a low groan, “God I know! He was wearing them two weeks ago! I don’t know what the hell changed.” 

Iwa chuckled, “He’ll grow out of it, I’m sure.” 

“I freaking hope so,” Oikawa sunk back into the couch, “He’s always going off in new tangents.” 

“That’s not so bad,” Iwa encouraged, “He’s a kid. Smart too.” 

“ _Too_ smart,” Oikawa laughed.

“I think…” Iwa said, sounding lost in thought, “It just shows how amazing his mom is.” 

If Oikawa’s cheeks weren’t red before, they certainly were now. “Thanks,” he murmured, in a way that was more shy than he really intended it to be. And either in an effort to hide his face, or something else all together, Oikawa leaned in to kiss him.

It was a soft kiss. Easy, but sure. It was always kisses like this that reminded Oikawa just how comfortable he felt around the alpha. 

They pulled away, both with a bit of a flush, Oikawa sitting back against the couch, and Iwa clearing his throat, starting up the massage again. 

And again, the silence fell. 

That is, until Iwa lifted up Tooru’s leg, pressing his lips to the top of the omega’s foot. Immediately the omega pulled away, brining his knees up to his chest, “Don’t do that—that’s weird—”

“Is it?”

The innocence in Iwa’s eyes was captivating, almost, the way his gaze held Oikawa’s, in something that the omega had long since forgotten.

He swallowed. What kind of face was he making, he wondered, for Iwa to suddenly be looking at him like that?

He was captured— pounced on, really— as if he were prey, as if Iwa had been waiting for some kind of sign of permission, as if he’d taken the last expression as permission, because the alpha’s lips were on him now, tongue forcing it’s way through, a deep groan vibrating against Iwa’s throat when he deepened their kiss. 

Oikawa would be lying, if he said he didn’t moan in response. His hands snaked to the back of Iwa’s neck easily, not thinking and trying to roll over, which only succeeded in the both of them falling to the floor in a heavy _thump._

Oikawa laughed. And Iwa did too. 

“Ok, maybe we shouldn’t—I think you’re drunk—”

“I’m not drunk,” Oikawa giggled in a way that wasn’t really convincing, nuzzling the alpha’s cheek tenderly, “I’m just…happy.” 

“Tipsy, then,” Iwa compromised, sliding his hand over Oikawa’s cheek, pulling him in for another kiss. 

“A little tipsy,” Oikawa agreed, words whispered over the alpha’s lips. 

Maybe it was just the leftover alcohol buzzing in his head, or maybe he just _wanted_ it to be the alcohol in his head, but the fact of the matter was, Oikawa’s fingers started at Iwa’s jeans, unbuttoning them with the kind of skill a drunkard couldn’t have. 

“Oikawa…”

“Not all the way,” he murmured between kisses, “Just a little…” 

“Eiji’s upstairs…” 

Oikawa pulled away, pouting. “Do you want to or not?” 

Iwa grabbed him, pulling him back in, “Of course I want to—”

“Then don’t fucking complain,” Oikawa didn’t look at him, face fully red now as he tugged on Iwa’s pants, revealing the growing bulge that threatened to pop out of his boxers. 

His blood started to swim with adrenaline. 

He kissed him through his boxers, briefly wondering if he even remembered how to do this properly. But feeling that burning heat against his lips, the only thing that really registered was how much he wanted this. 

Maybe he should’ve taken a few more precautions, considering they were on the floor, and considering his son was upstairs, but Eiji was a pretty deep sleeper, and the moment Oikawa saw the alpha’s dick twitch against the fabric of his boxers Oikawa knew it was a lost cause. 

He pulled the fabric down as far as he could manage, taking in Iwa’s heat just enough so that it hit the roof of his mouth. 

The omega shuddered, his entire body rolling slightly. 

“Hold on—” Iwa struggled, trying to kick off his pants a big more, positioning himself against the couch and then finally sitting on it, Oikawa deciding it’d be best if he stayed on the floor. 

“This is better,” he murmured, licking Iwa from base to tip—because that sort of thing was supposed to be sensual, or something— before swallowing him down again, the alpha’s girth making his eyes water. 

Gods this was amazing. 

Iwa blamed his lack of self control on the fact that looking after Eiji all afternoon had just drained him of energy. But most of it was probably due to the fact that Oikawa looked absolutely incredible with his dick in his mouth. 

Forget how good it felt—if the omega kept making eye contact Iwa was pretty sure he’d come from that alone. His hand was twisted up in Oikawa’s hair, practically pulling at the scalp and trying to keep his composure. This was the same omega he’d been admiring for forever, an omega’s who’s name he didn’t even have to go by, and now… _now…_

This development was too much. He didn’t have the strength for this. 

Especially when Oikawa pulled away, a string of spit connecting his lips to the tip of Iwa’s dick, the omega giggling stupidly to himself. 

“Fuck,” he breathed, kissing Iwa’s leaking cock, “You’re big.” 

Iwa could literally hear what little mental sanity he had left shattering into a million itty-bitty pieces. 

With both hands he grabbed the back of Oikawa’s head, fingers sliding against the silk of his hair, forcing his cock to the back of the omega’s throat again and again, Oikawa making these beautiful little garbled sounds that Iwa might have thought to be in protest, except his eyes kept rolling back in pleasure, moans vibrating from the edge of his throat all the way through Iwa’s cock. 

There was something wrong with him. Seeing Oikawa crying _really_ shouldn’t have been turning him on as much as it did, but _fuck_ he was getting closer and closer. 

Especially from watching the way the tears fell over Oikawa’s perfectly porcelain cheeks, from feeling the omega’s tongue curl and play with his skin, sucking and teasing as if he’d done this a million times before. It was almost enough to piss him off, but Iwa felt so good he couldn’t really bring himself to care. 

And then there was the deliciously wet and warm feel of his mouth, of those soft lips and the threat of teeth, that made it all just a little bit rough but not at the same time, and before Iwa could try and gather himself, his thrusts were already getting away from him, resulting in nothing more than desperate, jerking movements, aching and searching for release. 

“Shi—” he couldn’t even get in a solid breath, “Oikawa I’m—don’t—” he tried to pull Oikawa’s face away, but Oikawa resisted, locking his lips around the alpha’s length, and taking him in as far as he could go. 

_Gushing_ was kind of a gross word, but it was also strangely thrilling, Oikawa decided, having the alpha’s seed _gush_ down his throat, sticky and hot and making it hard to swallow, hard to _breathe,_ and he choked a bit, but Iwa pulled away rather quickly, leaving the omega’s mouth stained sticky and white. 

Oikawa ran his tongue over his lips, tugging at them with his teeth, and wiped the corner of hismouth with his thumb. He giggled stupidly. “That was a lot…” 

“Fuck…” Iwa breathed, collapsing a bit against the couch, trying to catch his breath. 

“Is it gross if I kiss you?” 

Iwa chuckled, throwing his arm over his face and shaking his head, “No,” 

Oikawa leaned in, his own clothed heat rubbing against Iwa’s—which was still hard by the way—but just as their lips seemed to meet, Oikawa stiffened, shivering goosebumps lining his arms. 

“Oikawa?” 

He slapped his hand over his mouth and _ran,_ Iwa not really sure what that meant or what he was supposed to do, but when he heard the bathroom door slam, and the sound of puking that followed, Iwa felt his everything sink with dread. 

Well. They’d _almost_ made progress. 

He tried to offer some help, but the door was locked, and Oikawa wasn’t replying. The toilet flushed a few times, and the sink was on for what felt like forever, but eventually, the omega came out of the bathroom, eyes puffy and red. 

Iwa offered a kind smile, but Oikawa spoke up before he could. 

“I guess alcohol and cum don’t mix,” he gave a fake kind of laugh, his eyes holding back tears, “Sorry that was—that was probably really disgusting—” he inhaled quickly, breath trembling, looking up to keep the tears from falling, “I—um—”

Arms were draped around him, strong and reassuring, Iwa pressing his lips to Oikawa’s cheek. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed you that far.” 

Oikawa shook his head, allowing himself to be hugged, “You didn’t push me.” 

Iwa kissed his cheek again, guiding them back to the couch, where Oikawa let his legs drape over Iwa’s, nuzzling into the alpha with his head resting on his shoulder. “Sorry, again. I’m ok though, I don’t want you to miss the last train—”

“There’s lots of time left before the last train,” Iwa kissed his forehead, upon which Oikawa closed his eyes, accepting the affection. His stomach still felt a bit weird, but being held by Iwa like this made him calm. Especially with the way Iwa rubbed his back, the action slow and repetitive, but it provided the kind of assurance Oikawa needed. It was an easy silence, the kind that was comfortable, alpha and omega just enjoying each other’s warmth. 

“Can I scent you?” Iwa said after a long while, finally breaking the silence. 

Oikawa’s head perked up, looking at the alpha with wide, hopeful eyes. “You…want to?” 

“Of course I want to,” Iwa tucked a loose curl behind the omega’s ear, “What alpha doesn’t want to scent their omega?” 

Tooru’s face flushed again, looking down and hiding behind his lashes, “When did I become your omega?” 

Iwa stiffened, which made Tooru smile a bit. “Sorry. Maybe that was—”

Oikawa shook his head, bumping his nose against the alpha’s scent glands. “I don’t mind. And you don’t really have to ask…anymore…” 

Iwa cupped his cheeks, kissing him again, though Oikawa resisted a bit, because he’d just thrown up after all, and he didn’t really want Iwa to get grossed out or anything like that. But Iwa held him in place, giving him soft kiss after soft kiss. 

“Let me know if it gets overwhelming.” 

“It never does, you know,” Oikawa said, shaking his head, “I’ve already told you that.” 

Iwa gave him one more kiss, before moving down to Oikawa’s scent glands. “All right then,” he cradled Oikawa’s head between his hands, holding him gently, “But if it does—”

“Iwa,” Oikawa hummed, letting out soft little purrs, “It’s fine.” 

It didn’t take very long, after that, for Oikawa to melt in that scent again, feeling Iwa in his skin, breathing him in, allowing the alpha’s pheromones to mix with his own. 

It was a strange feeling. Like drowning, and like coming up for air after a really long time, the satisfaction of the _gasp_ after having your lungs scraped of air, all mixed into one. 

It was the racing of his heart, and his shortness of breath, and it was the way his eyes fluttered closed in complete contentment, that soft sigh that relaxed his shoulders whenever Iwa claimed him through scent. 

But more than any of those things, and _better_ than any of those things, was the simple fact that it _was_ Iwa, silent and strong and there, holding Oikawa in big arms that seemed to wash away any and everything. 

And it was wonderful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it! Haha enjoy your two for one update guys ^o^ Please flood me with comments today because I have to meet with my goddamn marketing group on a SUNDAY and I wanna kill myself lol. Anyway. I forget how long the bokuaka smex was but this chapter also broke 7k so like hot damn. *pats self on back* Seriously though it's all thank to you guys. You give me so much motivation and all your comments make me so so so freaking happy, so thank you. That said, 18 is my favorite number and this is one of my favorite chapters, so I hope you all enjoy. My author's notes have gotten really long so I'll stop it here lol. Thank you all for the continued support, and as always, comments are very much appreciated. Happy Sunday everyone!! <3


	19. Chapter 19

The care packages his sister sent were always _torn_ right open, because Eiji was impatient, and so was Bokuto, and with two alphas going ham on one package it was no surprise that the box everything came in could never be of any use afterward. 

Which was a waste of a box, if you asked Oikawa Tooru. 

She’d been to Mexico, apparently, always providing small flags of wherever she’d been last, the box filled with a sombrero for Eiji (which Bokuto was currently wearing) various sweets and snacks, a hand-written letter for Tooru (where did she find the time to write _letters?_ ) and a small wooden game that went _click-clack-click-clack_ which Eiji found _far_ too amusing. 

Tooru might just have to say it “broke.” 

But for now, things were quiet—quieter, at least, since Oikawa had cut everyone up some honeydew as a post-lunch snack, and now Eiji was in the living room, singing and dancing in front of the television to one of his favorite shows. 

Meanwhile, Oikawa was in the kitchen, cleaning up the remnants of the box, Bokuto watching while he ate. And now that Eiji was out of earshot, Oikawa could finish his story.

“I mean I almost—I didn’t but I _could_ have—”

“But you _didn’t_ —”

Tooru groaned, dropping his head into his hands.

“Ok but,” Bokuto took another bite of honeydew, “Aside from almost throwing up on his—“ he made a rolling motion with his hand to fill in the word, “No regrets, right?” 

Oikawa murmured slightly, peeking his head out, “Obviously not.” 

Bokuto punched him lightly in the arm, “I knew you had some of the old you left—”

“There is no _old_ me,” Tooru snapped, “There’s just _me—_ and we’ve done at least _that_ …before…”

“Does that mean,” Bokuto leaned in close—dangerously close, “ _Mr. Iwa_ is gonna get lucky soon?” 

Oikawa pushed his friend’s face away, clicking his tongue, “You’re disgusting.” 

“I still can’t believe he got Eiji to fall asleep. You sure he didn’t tranquilize your kid?” 

“Don’t even joke—”

“Still. That’s awesome.” 

Groaning, Oikawa rolled his eyes, “No, it’s _not_ awesome. Ever since it’s been Mr. Iwa _this_ and Mr. Iwa _that_ , and it doesn’t _stop_ Kou. It doesn’t _stop._ I mean what the hell is that anyway? Not even my mom can get him to fall asleep when I’m out. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that he was able to put Eiji to bed but it kinda hurts that Eiji didn’t stay up—he always stays up—”

Bokuto took another obnoxious bite of his honeydew, “Relax. That’s a good sign isn’t it? Besides, half of it was probably his scent.” 

“Sure, sure.” 

“You know,” Bokuto grinned, waggling his eyebrows, “Cuz he’s a _pack leader_ and all that.” 

“Shut up.” 

“What? Everyone knows pack leaders are super great with kids—”

“I know but—”

“So? There’s no more doubts right? You like him. Your kid likes him. And he likes you! So go for it before your balls shrivel up—”

“Timing, Koutarou. Not everyone can go around prancing and smelling like their omegas for _weeks_ on end—”

“It was like _four_ days and _yes_ they can if they’d just learn to _live_ a little—”

“Kou—”

“Hey,” he said, mouth still half full, juice practically sliding down his chin like a child, “Why don’t you call him?” He reached for the box and pulled out some snacks with _Iwaizumi_ written on them, “Since these are for him anyway.” 

Oikawa snatched them, putting them back in the box, “I’ll give them to him tomorrow,” he said, taking in a deep breath, “Right now I just want—”

“Oooor,” Bokuto tried again, “You could just do it today—”

“Today is—”

“Come on,” Bokuto’s voice was nudging, “I could take Eiji. You guys could relax here, eat some candy, maybe pop open a bottle of wine—one thing leads to the next~” 

“No. And take that hat off, you look ridiculous.”

“Aw come on Tooru! If you don’t initiate then who the hell is going to—”

As if on cue, Oikawa’s cell began to ring, cutting the conversation. Even without looking at his screen, Oikawa knew it was Iwa. 

“Hello?” 

Bokuto made a face at him, and some very inappropriate gestures. Oikawa smacked his hands. 

“Yeah Bokuto’s here. No he’s just dripping melon all over the counter I _just_ cleaned.” 

There was a pause, to which Iwa must have said something, because Oikawa laughed. 

“There’s stuff for you too Iwa!” Bokuto shouted, “You should come grab it!” 

Oikawa stuttered a bit into the phone, turning around in an attempt to keep Bokuto from bothering him, “Ah, yes—well I told my sister about you so—you know how she sends packages—it’s just some candy, so if you’re busy—”

_“If it’s ok with you I don’t mind dropping by.”_

It shouldn’t have, but the sentence made the omega’s heart race a bit. 

“We’re not busy,” he smiled without realizing, “We’re just relaxing and eating honeydew. There’s still some left…if you want?” 

_“Yeah, that sound great. Actually! That reminds me,”_ there was a small pause, _“I noticed Eiji really likes dinosaurs,”_

Oikawa laughed, nodding his head, “Yeah he does! One of the first things I gave him was a T-Rex plush, and so it just took off after that. He still has it—”

_“So I was thinking,”_ Iwa’s voice was visibly excited, on the other side of the line, _“He said he’s never seen Godzilla, but I feel like he’d really like it—”_

Oikawa’s lips flattened just a little, “I don’t know about that…” 

“I think he’ll love it! It was always my favorite as a kid. I could bring it—”

The omega cleared his throat, “Nothing really tops T-Rex. I don’t think he’ll take to it. Besides Godzilla is kind of violent.” 

Iwa chuckled, but rather than make his heart flop like it usually did, it just tightened up his stomach. 

_“Come on, this was like in the 50s. It’s not that serious. If anything T-Rex is probably more violent—”_

“I’m just not comfortable with it—”

_“Weren’t you saying he watched Law and Order with your dad? This’ll be nothing—”_

“It’s got nothing to _do_ with what he watches with my dad,” his voice noticeably sharpened, but Oikawa couldn’t help it. Because what Eiji watched was up to him. _He_ was Eiji’s mother, so he had the final say no matter what. And the thing with his dad had only been once, and it hadn’t happened again, so he didn’t really appreciate Iwa making it sound like—but even if he _did_ let Eiji watch Law and Order, when it came down to it, how Oikawa decided to raise Eiji was up to _Oikawa. “_ I just don’t want him watching Godzilla—”

“Well why not?”

“Because he’s not your kid Kaito!” 

There was a small choking sound, Bokuto coughing up his honeydew behind him, Oikawa too frozen to really turn around, or to say anything else. 

Even _he’d_ heard that one. 

“Iwa,” he blurted, not sure what else to say, “Sorry I—“ he shook his head, trying to backtrack, “Just bring the movie if you want—”

“You know,” the voice on the other end of the call was quiet. Calm. “I said I wouldn’t ask, but that’s the second time you’ve said that name.” 

Oikawa didn’t even have time to process that this had been the second time, or what Iwa even freaking _meant_ by that, but the way he said it made it sound like he was about to hang up, and for some reason Oikawa thought that if that happened, he’d never be able to reach him again.

“Iwa! Wait—! Let me—I owe you an explanation—”

“You don’t owe me anything, Oikawa—”

“No—I want to—let me—“ he motioned for Bokuto, tapping his arm and then pointing at Eiji, “Bokuto is gonna have Eiji for a while so we can talk—I want to talk.” 

Bokuto nodded, standing up and heading over to Eiji, telling him to go get ready because they were gonna go get ice cream. 

Oikawa could hear Iwa breathing. Or maybe it was just a sigh. “When?”

“Now, if you’re free.” 

There was a pause, one that was too long—or maybe it just felt long, but finally Iwa did that breathing-sighing thing into the phone again, “It’ll take me like 20 minutes.”

“Ok,” Oikawa nodded, “I don’t mind waiting.” 

“-lright.” 

With that he hung up.

Oikawa swallowed, slowly setting his phone down on the counter. Before he could stare at it for too long though, he picked himself up, taking in a large inhale, “Koutarou—”

“I got you,” Bokuto was walking back to him, smacking him hard on the back, “Bout time you told him anyway,”

“Yeah but this isn’t how I wanted to tell him—”

“It slipped out,” he encouraged, “You’ve called me Kaito before when you’re angry.” 

“Yeah well what the _fuck_ does that say about me?” 

Bokuto brought him in, hugging him, “That it still hurts. It’s allowed to hurt, Tooru.” 

Oikawa shook him off, “It was years ago. Him and I have nothing to do with each other anymore.” 

“I’m not saying you do—”

“Uncle Bokuto!!! Ice cream ice cream!!!” Eiji was running down the stairs, already halfway to the door.

“Take as much time as you need,” he patted Oikawa on the back again, “I’ve got you covered.” 

“Thank you,” Oikawa rubbed his own arms, putting a smile on his face before he bent down to hug Eiji, “Be good for your Uncle. And not too much ice cream!”

“Only two scoops!” Eiji promised.

Oikawa nuzzled his son, scent marking him, before standing back up and thanking Bokuto again. 

Maybe it was because it wasn’t often that Oikawa was left home alone. But after Eiji and Bokuto left, the house just felt…empty. 

He kept himself busy, washing and then rewashing dishes, cleaning the counter three times over, and fluffing up the couch pillows. He had no idea what he was going to say. What _could_ he say? Apologize, definitely. That would be first and foremost. But then what? Was he just supposed to tell Iwa his life story? Wouldn’t that just make it all even worse? But if he didn’t explain properly then it’d just look like he was hiding something. He didn’t want Iwa to think he was keeping anything from him. So maybe just telling him the whole story was the way to go. 

Damnit. This wasn’t how he’d planned on telling him. 

He wanted it to be slow. And calm. Once Oikawa was more sure…

The doorbell rang and his heart stopped, catching in his throat with a strange sound that was both a choke and a yelp. He sped walked towards the door, taking a deep breath before pulling it open. 

“Hey,” Iwa nodded at him in greeting. 

Oikawa swallowed again, opening the door nice and wide, and nodding at Iwa in return, “Thank you. For showing up.” 

He watched as Iwa slowly took off his shoes, one by one, hooking his finger around the back and then pulling them off. 

“I’m not mad,” Iwa said, straightening, “I know I probably overstepped my boundaries a bit. And the name…it probably…slipped,” he exhaled, as if he were trying to find words. 

“Don’t do that,” Oikawa said suddenly, wrapping his arms around himself somewhat anxiously. 

Iwa gave him a curious glance, walking up to him and rubbing Oikawa’s arms, “Don’t do what?” 

Oikawa closed his eyes when Iwa pressed his lips to his forehead, “Be so goddamn understanding about everything.” 

A trickle of a smile shone on the alphas face. “Would you rather I wasn’t?”

“Well it’s not normal!” Oikawa said, straightening and separating himself from the alpha, “If we’re going to fight we should fight now, so that we know how to fight later—”

Iwa crinkled his features, laughter spilling from his lips, “So that we know how to _fight_?” 

Oikawa smacked him in the arm, “I’m serious! Different people argue differently! Some are really loud but others tend to shut themselves in and you have to—compatibility isn’t only for the easy stuff—“

“Well, it’s worked out so far, hasn’t it?” 

“Not really,” Oikawa shook his head.

“It’s not?” 

“No!” He threw up his hands, exasperated, “You’re infuriating! I blurted out someone else’s name! At least ask about it! Storm in! Demand answers!” 

Iwa was still chuckling, “Would that complement your arguing style?” 

“It would!” 

“Ok,” the alpha smiled, crossing his arms, “So tell me about this Kaito person.” 

“I will!” Oikawa grabbed Iwa by the elbow, stomping as he led them to the couch and dropped Iwa off, “Sit and wait here, because I’m getting tea. It’s green tea because I don’t have anything else, so don’t complain.” 

Iwa couldn’t help the smile that stained his face, while he waited for Oikawa, the sound of cups and trays being dug through in the kitchen. Soon enough the omega was back, slamming the tray down, and inhaling deeply, before grabbing his cup and taking a sip. He exhaled after swallowing. 

“Better?” Iwa asked, leaning in slightly. 

Oikawa nodded, holding the cup in both hands, “I need to,” he let one hand go, motioning his words, “Let everything out.” 

“Whatever works for you.”

“Take some tea,” Oikawa grabbed the cup that was still on the tray, offering it to him, “It’s awkward having you just watch me.” 

“Ok,” 

The alpha took the cup, blowing on it slightly before taking a sip. Oikawa did the same, letting silence fill in the space for them, and clearing his throat before he finally got enough of a hold on himself to speak up again. 

“So, as you know,” he licked his lips, looking up at Iwa, “I have a son.” 

“Right.” 

“And,” Oikawa continued, “As you know, I used to be bonded.” 

“Right again.” 

He cleared his throat, “Long story short, he didn’t want kids. And I did.” 

Iwa nodded, and nothing was said after that, silence filling the space again, alpha and omega taking sips of their tea. 

“So…” Iwa’s voice was low, somewhat hesitant as he rubbed the edge of his cup with his thumb, “What’s the long version?” 

Oikawa swallowed, wondering just how long he could postpone his answer by drinking tea. But this was the inevitable question, wasn’t it? 

He took in a large breath, exhaling deeply. “Kaito and I met our first year in college. We got along really well. He was in the engineering school.” 

It sounded very robotic, but Oikawa wasn’t really sure how else to say it. Iwa nodded, motioning for him to go on. 

“We were 18 at the time. We bonded pretty quickly, but it felt right, so we didn’t really care. And everyone was saying it was a horrible idea so that only pushed us even more.” He took another sip of his tea, “He didn’t want kids. I didn’t think I did either. Said he’d always wanted to travel the world. I said I did too. We just…fit.” He swallowed, thinking this was all really awkward, to be telling this to the guy he was currently dating. “Anyway,” he added quickly, not really wanting to get into any further details, “We beat the stereotype I guess. Everyone said a bond would tear us apart. But we just never broke up. Moved in together our second year, and it was all smooth sailing after that for nearly five years. We fought obviously, just like everyone else. But as far as we were concerned, as soon as we were really settled and graduated and all that, we were going to get married.” 

He stopped again, taking another sip of tea and taking a breath, because he was _not_ going to cry. Iwa didn’t rush him, just gave him his time, silently taking the story in. 

“But then I got pregnant.” 

The alpha visibly stiffened, and so Oikawa figured it would be best if he got through this quickly. 

“I was on the pill, so I don’t really know what happened. Maybe I missed a day and forgot. But it wasn’t…I’ve always said, that while Eiji wasn’t planned, he wasn’t unwanted.”

He put the cup down, taking extra care as he poured himself more tea. “The um…the day I found out—I mean it was weird, obviously. A whole mix of emotions, all that stereotypical stuff,” he waved his hand, “Obviously I wanted to go tell Kaito. I’d forgotten that we both said we didn’t want kids. The thought honestly never even crossed my mind. I just thought: we’re gonna have a _baby_.” 

“I think it’s omega instinct,” Oikawa continued, tugging at his fingers, “Because suddenly I was just—I was just so _happy,_ you know? And it wasn’t even so much about the fact that I was pregnant—as medieval as it sounds—it was more like I was able to provide my alpha with pups. Like I was just—I don’t know. That made me happy I guess.” His voice had picked up, but it quickly sank down again, and Oikawa took another sip of tea. This pause was longer than the others. 

“When…” he gripped the cup, knuckles going slightly white, “When I told him I was pregnant, the first thing he said was that we were both in this together.” He inhaled again, “Followed immediately by: _I will go with you to the abortion clinic._ ” 

Iwa’s eyes noticeably widened, and Oikawa’s noticeably watered. Still, he continued, “It’s not like I was super shocked, or anything. But I thought, once we talked it out, then obviously he’d want to keep our child…” 

The alpha’s face look pained, for a moment wanting to reach out to the omega, but holding himself back, “He wanted the abortion?” 

Oikawa shook his head, “It was complicated. He’d been recruited for a beautification project in Hokkaido. I couldn’t go with him because I would’ve had to leave a job I’d just started. We were going to do long distance of course, but all things considered—even if he had wanted kids—it was bad timing.” He shifted on the couch, trying to distract himself, “I kept telling myself he’d change his mind. That maybe once he saw that we could be a family, that it was—I mean alphas are hard-wired for that…” his voice shrunk, his head lowering like an omega in submission, “Aren’t they?” 

“Oikawa…” At this, Iwa did reach out his hand, gently brushing down Oikawa’s arm. 

And that was all it took. 

The sobs were suffocating, making it hard to speak, especially with the way Iwa had pulled him up against his chest, Oikawa blubbering into the alpha’s shirt, “I know that he had every right to not want—but I—I never thought—I really thought—we loved each other and he just left—” he pulled away, wiping his face with his palms, though it did nothing to stop the tears, “That’s why I’m so scared—I’m so _scared_ of that happening again—” 

He continued to cry, Iwa letting him, not using scent to soothe him, instead just keeping his hands steady, running them up and down Oikawa’s back to reassure him. 

Finally, when the omega calmed down, he pulled away again, wiping his face and taking in a deep breath, looking Iwa in the eyes. “I don’t want you to think you’re a replacement or anything like that. I had no intention of ever dating again, because I didn’t want Eiji to ever have to go through what I did,” he swallowed, gathering himself, “But you’re—you’re so wonderful. And that only scares me even more. Because you’re _so_ kind and _so_ understanding I just—something is going to give at one point and I don’t ever want it to get to the point where everything just boils over—”

“It won’t,” Iwa took his hands, holding onto them securely, “I won’t let that happen.” 

Oikawa nodded somewhat sheepishly. 

“I know,” Iwa started again, “I know words are kind of empty, and given the circumstances it’s probably crap to try and promise you anything, but Oikawa I swear, as much as is in my power to do so I want to stay with you. Not just you. Eiji too. I want you and everything that comes with you.” 

Oikawa nodded again, squeezing Iwa’s hands, “I know—”

“And maybe it’s weird to say something like that because I know we’ve only been dating for a few months but—more than just falling in love with you—I think I’m already in love, Oikawa.” 

The tears welled up in his eyes, and it wasn’t long before they were falling, Oikawa sobbing all over again, crying into the alpha’s chest for the second time. His hands wrapped around his neck, tangling and pulling their bodies close. “You can’t just—say something like that—”

“I’m sorry—I know it’s probably too soon—”

“Who cares about that!” Oikawa continued to cry, sniffling against Iwa’s shirt, hiccuping and more than anything else just overwhelmed. “I’m sorry,” he pulled away, but didn’t bother to wipe his face, “I’m sorry I called you Kaito—” Iwa reached up to his face, wiping the tears for him. 

“Hey, I already told you it’s ok—“

“It’s really _not_ though—”

“I’m not gonna lie. It pissed me off a little. But I don’t think you plan on making it a habit. Honestly I’m glad it happened when you were upset, and not when…” his voice trailed off, mumbling to a halt. 

Oikawa sniffled, cocking his head slightly, “What?” 

Iwa leaned in a bit more, wiping the last few stray tears off the omega’s face, “We haven’t gotten there yet.” 

Oikawa blushed a bit, before quickly shaking his head, “That—I would never—”

Iwa laughed, “I hope not. That’ll seriously sting my pride, you know?” 

The omega pulled him into a hug, nuzzling him. Iwa grabbed his waist, bringing Oikawa’s legs around so that he was half-sitting on the alpha’s lap. “I’m sorry. It’s just been me and Eiji for so long. I guess—is it weird to say I guess I was jealous? He wouldn’t shut up about you…after babysitting. And T-Rex—that’s the one thing that’s exclusively mine—”

Iwa kissed his cheek, rocking them back and forth ever so gently. “Don’t apologize. I overstepped a bit. Just gotta keep taking things one day at a time. We’ll figure it out.” 

Cupping his still wet but tearless face, Iwa brought Oikawa in for a soft kiss. “But,” he said, “I don’t ever want you crying like that again.” 

A weak smirk crawled onto Oikawa’s lips, “No promises.” 

Iwa returned it with his own scoff, tucking some hair behind Oikawa’s ear. “I’m sorry you had to go through something like that,” his voice dipped into seriousness, spoken with sincerity. 

Shaking his head, and closing his eyes, Oikawa smiled, “It was all worth it in the end. I wouldn’t give Eiji up for anything.” 

“Is that bastard still in Hokkaido?” 

Oikawa shrugged, “I’m not sure. Maybe he came back or maybe he stayed up there. But as far as Eiji’s concerned, I want you to know that Kaito has no connections to him. He’d already left for Hokkaido when I gave birth, and a few months after he sent me all the paperwork that legally renounced his rights as a father. So as far as the law and my self are concerned, Eiji doesn’t have one.” 

Iwa nodded, “I’m sorry you were bonded to an alpha like that.” 

Oikawa lowered his eyes, “That’s…what everyone says.” 

The alpha scanned his face, rubbing Oikawa’s cheeks with his thumbs, “What is it?” 

Oikawa shook his head, putting his hand over Iwa’s, “He wasn’t horrible. I mean…there’s still lots of good memories. And even if it was extreme, what it boils down to is the fact that we wanted different things. I think I’ve finally grown to accept that now.” 

“He was your first love,” Iwa said, rubbing Oikawa’s cheeks again, “Wasn’t he?” 

Oikawa squeezed his fingers, nodding in affirmation. 

“Then, I want to make a request.” 

He received a hum in reply, Oikawa not breaking his gaze.

“Can I be your last?” 

The omega stiffened in his hold, cheeks reddening again, and his features twisted into a frown, lips pressing harshly against Iwa’s. He grabbed the alpha’s face, giving him harsh kiss after harsh kiss, giving nothing more than elongated pecks, lips pressing against lips. “You’re—too—bold—“ he spoke between kisses, not wasting a single breath between the words. 

“I have to be,” Iwa grabbed for his wrist, pulling him into another, slightly longer kiss, “To keep up with you—”

“Is it hard to keep up with me—?”

“No—a bit—I don’t mind—”

Oikawa laughed into his mouth, feeling giddy and stupid and just, _right._ Without meaning to, he nuzzled into Iwa again, rubbing against the alpha’s scent glands, a purr starting in his chest. 

Iwa squeezed him, nuzzling him right back, “I love when you do that.” 

Oikawa’s lips pressed against the skin of Iwa’s neck, “Do what?” 

“Purr.” 

The brush of Iwa’s lips against his ear was enough to make him smile again. He shifted slightly in the alpha’s lap. “I should call Kou…let him know everything’s ok.” 

“Sure,” Iwa nodded, “Go ahead,” 

“Will you stay for a bit? Eiji was excited to show you the sombreros,” Oikawa paused for a moment, looking at the alpha, “And…I don’t really want you leave just yet.” 

Iwa smiled. “Sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.” 

“We can even watch _Cars._ Sweeten the deal.”

“ _Cars?_ That’s like my favorite movie. I wasn’t wholly convinced before but now I definitely have to stay.” 

Oikawa snorted, licking his lips and shifting again, so that he could get up and go get his phone. But he only got halfway off the couch, before Iwa pulled him in again, giving him a large kiss on the cheek. “Thank you,” he said, “For telling me.” 

Blushing, Oikawa hardly had the ability to reply, “Thank you,” he managed, “For listening.” 

Iwa smiled, one softer than any of the others he’d shown that day, as he bumped his forehead against Oikawa’s, giving him another kiss on the cheek. 

“Anytime.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to wait to post this but eh. Whatever. Finally you all find out about the mysterious Kaito~~ Took nearly 20 chapters but there it is lol. So real quick since someone brought it up. If you look at pack leaders in terms of actual wolves you'll notice that it's not necessarily the strongest wolf, but it's often the one who takes care of all the young, the one in charge, the one who makes sure everyone is getting enough food, etc. In essence: a father figure. Gee golly whiz, I wonder what that could mean. 
> 
> Anyway lol, thank you to everyone who comments regularly!! You guys are seriously the base of my existence because if you didn't then I'd seriously be motivationless and probably never update. I love getting those notification emails from AO3 like it's seriously such an amazing feeling and we've been together through so many chapters that I recognize all your guys' usernames and I even know the like format of how you guys structure your comments lol. It's truly just such a great experience. If you've followed me with other stories then you know that I don't update on a schedule. It's spasmodic af so the fact that this fic is updated weekly is completely thanks to you lovely people and just speaks to the level of how absolutely wonderful you all are with your comments <3\. Please know that I appreciate you so so much. 
> 
> That said, there's 300+ people subscribed to this fic. You're not paying for it so the least you can do is take two seconds to leave a comment. Or you know, two minutes. I know no one has time these days and its difficult to voice what you're feeling. But guess what. I don't have time either and I still manage. A little appreciation goes a long way, people.


	20. Chapter 20

“Noooooo!!!!!” Eiji wasn’t fast enough, swiped up into the air and then dropped onto the couch, his shirt lifted up and—

Childish squeals bubbled and bursted from his throat, his little legs thrashing as Oikawa blew raspberries onto the little alpha’s belly. 

“Mommy stop—it tickles—!” 

Oikawa blew more raspberries, Eiji’s uncontrollable laughter filling the apartment. 

“Stop stop! Mommy wins Mommy wins!!!” Eiji could hardly shape the words, his laughter breaking every breath apart.

“Alright,” Oikawa sat up, brining Eiji’s shirt back down and patting his belly, “I won, so time for a bath—”

“But I _hate_ baths—”

“ _You,”_ the omega pointed, “Only started hating baths after that one episode of Kiko’s Kanji.”

“Kiko hates baths too!”

“But she liked it in the end, didn’t she?” Oikawa tried, hoping with everything he had that he could reason with Eiji. 

Eiji rubbed his tummy, tugging at the fabric with his fists. “Can I bring my toys?”

“You can bring five toys,” Oikawa said, holding his palm up as proof.

“Only five??” 

“Ok,” he dropped two fingers, “Three toys—”

“Five toys!” Eiji exclained, jumping off the couch and running towards the stairs, eager to not lose any more than that. Oikawa chuckled to himself, getting off the couch himself—albeit a lot slower— stretching his arms up over his head and letting out a long sigh. 

It’d been quite a day. 

But work was done, and Eiji was agreeing to a bath, and there was a new drama premiering tonight so things were going pretty well. 

So long as he could just bathe Eiji before the fucking drama started. It was dumb, probably, but small things like watching shows when they were actually on, instead of having to record them and then watching them two years later, was very much considered a victory in his book. 

“Mommy!! I have my toys!! I’m gonna fill up the bathtub!!” 

Nothing had ever gotten Oikawa up the stairs faster. Eiji’s pants were already off when he got there, his son running around the hallway half-naked, toys filling up his arms. 

“Slow down, slow down!” He tried to grab him, “Absolutely no running in the bathroom remember?”

“Because you can slip!”

“Exactly—”

“Mommy I got my toys!” 

“Ok, but we have to get cleaned first, right?”

Eiji looked up at him with determined eyes, “Yes!” 

They walked into the bathroom together, upon which Eiji dumped all of his toys into the bath, and Oikawa began filling up the tub, making sure the water was nice and hot. When he was satisfied, he turned to Eiji, telling him to bring his arms up. The young alpha did as he was told, being mostly obedient as his mother undressed him, and then ushered him into the shower, Oikawa kicking off his own clothes so that they could both take a bath together. 

Thankfully, for the most part, Eiji wasn’t being too rowdy. 

“…and then I got Shinji to play soccer with us.” 

“That sounds fun,” Oikawa smiled, scrubbing his son’s scalp, “How did that go?” 

“He didn’t wanna play at first, cuz he was reading—Shinji reads lots—but I made him—”

Oikawa hesitated for a moment, “You shouldn’t force people to do things, Eiji—”

“But he’s always reading and I wanted to play with him! Besides he was pretty good! And and then after—after the game was done—he said he had lots of fun and he even smiled really big like this,” he turned to face his mother, smiling nice and wide and showing all of his teeth. 

Which looked a bit silly, with his hair full of soap like that. 

Oikawa smirked, nodding his head and bringing the shower head over to rinse out the soap. “Well, so long as you both had fun.” 

“We did!” He said, but got really quiet after that, which Okawa found a bit strange. 

He stayed that way, as if he were thinking about something, letting himself get rinsed off, and not really saying anything until they climbed into the tub. Briefly, Oikawa wondered if he’d ever be able to fully stretch out his legs in the tub again. But he didn’t really dwell on it, because Eiji was still pretty quiet, which meant something was probably wrong, the young alpha splashing his toys around with no real purpose. Finally, he turned around to face his mom. 

“Mommy?” 

Oikawa smiled, “Yes, Eiji?” 

He looked down at his toys while he spoke, “Kento says he thinks girl omegas are prettier.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened, and he had to bite his lip to keep his smile from getting too big, “Well,” he began, “There’s nothing wrong with that, right?” 

Eiji chewed the inside of his cheeks, still moving his toys around, “I guess…” 

Oikawa nuzzled his son, “Well what do you think? You don’t like girl omegas?” 

“It’s not _that…_ ” Eiji said, “But I think…they’re both pretty…” 

The smirk on Oikawa’s lips was one he couldn’t really hold back, “Like who?” He pried, trying to push his son just a bit. 

Eiji seemed to think about that for a bit. “Mommy’s an omega.” 

“That’s right,” he nodded.

“But Mommy’s pretty—”

“Thank you Eiji—”

“And Mr. Akaashi is pretty too,” he continued, seemingly on a roll now, “And Yama-sensei is really nice, and um, also…” his cheeks brightened, dropping his gaze from his mother’s eyes, “Shinji is also a boy…” 

Oikawa sucked in his lips, trying to maintain his composure, “Do you think Shinji is pretty?” 

Eiji seemed to pout a bit, “I just think—boy and girl omegas are both pretty—everyone can be pretty—Kento is stupid.” 

“Well,” Oikawa brought his hand out, brushing Eiji’s hair back, “Kento is allowed to think what he wants, right?” 

“But it makes no sense!” 

“Everyone likes different things, right Eiji? That’s no reason to call people stupid.” 

“But Kento—“

“It’s like chocolate pudding, Eiji.” 

The young alpha blinked, looking at his mother as if he were crazy. “Chocolate pudding?” 

Oikawa nodded, “Your favorite is chocolate right? But Grandma likes vanilla. And what does Grandpa like?” 

“Grandpa likes both!” 

“Ping-pong,” Oikawa tapped his son’s nose, “Exactly right. Is Grandma stupid for liking vanilla?”

Eiji shook his head. 

“And is Grandpa stupid for liking both?” 

Again Eiji shook his head. 

“See?” Oikawa smiled, “It’s the exact same thing.” 

The young alpha seemed to consider that, before nodding his head, and agreeing with his mom, “That makes sense!” 

The omega couldn’t help but laugh, ruffling up his son’s hair, “All right. I don’t think all this steam is good for your head—”

“No Mommy—no! Five more minutes! I wanna play some more—”

“Who was it that didn’t want to take a bath in the first place?”

The alpha pouted, looking up at his mom with large, round eyes. Oikawa sighed, giving in the way he usually did. “Alright,” he said, “But as soon as I’ve got my pajamas on then you’ve got to get out, ok? I gotta blow-dry your hair.” 

“My hair’s dry!” Eiji said, but mostly agreed to everything else, and so Oikawa got out of the tub, taking his time as he put his pajamas on. 

It took a hell of a lot more (as he expected it would) to get Eiji out of the tub, and to then get the young alpha to sit still while Oikawa dried his hair, Eiji insisting it was dry already, and Oikawa insisting that it wasn’t. Nearly half an hour later, the tub was draining, and Eiji was tossing around in bed, asking if he could sleep in Mommy’s room before milk today. 

“You wanna sleep in my bed?” 

Eiji nodded excitedly. 

Oikawa let out a long sigh, but allowed it to happen, because he really did give in far too easily. Finally, at 7:57, Eiji was curled up in bed, and seemingly asleep. 

Three minutes to the drama premiere. 

Oikawa hardly had time to pour himself a glass of wine and sit down on the couch, taking a large gulp as he pressed a million buttons on the remote to get out of the child-safety version of netflix. 

But he made it, just as the show was starting, so he was finally allowed to exhale. This was the first time in a long time he could enjoy an adult show that didn’t start at midnight. 

The protagonist was pretty hot. Oikawa had no idea who he was though. Jesus _Christ_ he didn’t even know actors anymore, but he could name every single character that starred in every Cars movie in existence. 

Woe was him.

But those thoughts hardly lasted, because the protagonist was rather good at capturing Oikawa’s attention. 

Was he Japanese or Korean? No, his Japanese was too good. Well, Oikawa supposed that was possible even if he was Korean. But he was playing a man in the Korean mafia so…

He grabbed his phone, searching up the drama. 

Japanese. Good to know. He put his phone down, taking another sip of his wine. This was the perfect way to end the day. It’d been so long since he’d been able to unwind all on his own. 

He found himself curling his legs up as it got more intense, the main protagonist having to share a mattress with some girl in a raggedy ass looking shack. The omega watched intently, tongue licking over lips and then brushing over the roof of his mouth. 

Shivers ran down his spine, goosebumps lining his arms. 

What if he were that omega girl, and Iwa were that Korean mafia renegade? The goosebumps sharpened, and Oikawa found himself shaking his head, because the bed sharing scene wasn’t sexual at all, and the omega really found himself slightly disappointed. 

He groaned at himself, taking another sip of wine. He couldn’t help but think that maybe…it’d be kinda nice…to not be watching this alone. He took another swig, feeling his cheeks warm with the swirls of alcohol. 

Iwa would probably have his arm wrapped around him. Or maybe he’d be eating one of Eiji’s puddings (because Iwa actually really liked chocolate pudding) and he’d definitely be making fun of the female protagonist for letting her luggage get stolen. 

The alpha was far too realistic about things. 

And he definitely would’ve called the bed-sharing scene lame. Which probably would’ve bothered Oikawa a bit, but sometimes Oikawa thought Iwa just pushed his buttons on purpose. 

Part of him wanted to return the favor. See what the alpha looked like when he was annoyed, or even angry. But as terrifyingly calm and understanding as Iwa was, Oikawa figured it’d take a whole hell of a lot for him to get mad. Which was also sort of terrifying in its own right. And that just made him kind of never wanna see it. But also see it. Because he wanted to see everything. 

He bit at his nail, even though Oikawa Tooru never bit his nails. 

Enough of that. Those were bad thoughts. He wanted good thoughts. More of the arm-around-him thoughts. Iwa had such nice arms. Maybe if he were here, Iwa’d kiss him a little. Or snuggle him. Try and distract him from the drama. Nuzzle him in that soft way and warn him to stay quiet because Eiji was upstairs. Maybe he’d slip his hands up his shirt (Oikawa loved when he did that) and start rubbing circles into his waist with absurdly rough fingers. 

The omega had talked to him about that. Iwa needed to moisturize more. 

But…those rough hands against his flesh was always an incredibly thrilling kind of feeling. 

Taking another sip of wine, he tried to convince himself he was feeling lightheaded only from the drink itself. 

Maybe…maybe Iwa would let him fall asleep on his shoulder. Maybe Oikawa could just curl up next to him and sleep through the entire episode and Iwa could just summarize it afterward. And then they’d all have milk together (Iwa drank milk, right?) and then they could tuck in Eiji together. By then, maybe Iwa would be sleepy. So they’d just crawl into bed together after fighting over the sink. But since Oikawa had napped through the show then maybe he’d be a bit more lively, and then, maybe rather than just sleeping, they could—

Gunshots from the television made him jump in his seat, cutting his daydream short. 

Ok, well, that was one way to bring his attention back to the show. He chewed his lip, taking another sip of wine before he grabbed for his phone, opening up his messages. 

**[8:39]** _Would you ever marry into the mafia?_

**[Iwaizumi Hajime 8:39]** _Are you trying to tell me something?_

Oikawa gave a short snort, biting his lip.

**[8:40]** _I’m watching a drama._

**[Iwaizumi Hajime 8:40]** _No drama is complete without mafia_

**[8:41]** _Are you busy at the moment?_

**[Iwaizumi Hajime 8:41]** _Not particularly. Why?_

**[8:41]** _Can I call you?_

He didn’t have to, because moments later, Oikawa was the one with an incoming call. 

“Hello?”

“I thought you were watching a drama.”

“I am!” Oikawa insisted, playing with the strings of his pajama pants, “It’s on commercial.” 

Iwa chuckled at that, “What’s up.” 

Oikawa swallowed, trying to come up with something, “I just wanted to make sure—I’m planning out the schedule so—we’re still good for Disney on the 14th, right?”

“Yeah,” Iwa said, “I got the day off already.” 

Oikawa nodded, biting his lip and shifting in his seat, clearing his throat, “Sorry, that was a lie, I don’t know why I said that.” 

He could _hear_ the contorted face Iwa was making over the phone, “Wait, we’re _not_ going to Disneyland?”

“No,” Oikawa immediately fixed, “No, not that—I mean yes, we’re going but—I mean that’s not why I called, I just…wanted to hear your voice, for a bit…” 

It was really quiet for too long of a pause, to which Oikawa found himself sucking in his teeth, trying once again to backtrack on his words, “I mean I—you said you weren’t busy so I just—”

The alpha was chuckling on the other end of the line, and Oikawa felt his face flush. “Sorry it’s just you get flustered so easily. It makes me wanna tease you a bit.”

“I don’t get flustered!” 

“You do,” Iwa insisted easily, his voice holding a smile, “It’s cute.”

Oikawa made a face, pulling his legs up closer to his chest, “Well if you know I get flustered then why don’t you just reply?” 

“Is that you admitting that you get flustered?” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened in realization, his voice catching, “I don’t—wait—I take that back—!”

Iwa was laughing again, and Oikawa pouted into the phone, not amused in the least. He didn’t say anything, ready to hang up since the show had already started up again. 

“Are you pouting?” Iwa’s voice dropped about ten octaves when he said so, and with the phone pressed right against his ear it only caused goosebumps to race across Oikawa’s arms. 

“I’m not,” he managed.

“You are,” the smile on the alpha’s face was heard loud and clear, “I can tell.” 

“Ok, well, not even pack leaders can _see_ through phones.” 

Iwa chuckled again, which only caused a smile to form across Oikawa’s lips as well. 

“Ok,” Iwa said, “I’m sorry. I’m really glad you wanted to hear my voice. It kind of made my night, you know. You have a habit of doing that.” 

The omega bit at his lips again, to keep his smile from getting too big, “Look who’s suddenly oh-so charming.” 

A light hearted scoff came from the other side of the phone, “I can be charming.” 

Oikawa couldn’t hold it back anymore, the smile spreading across his lips, “I know.” 

Gunshots blared across the tv again, loud and obnoxious, breaking up the moment. 

“I take it your show is back on.” 

Oikawa nodded, even though no one could see, “Yeah.” 

“Should I leave you to that?” 

He hesitated, for a moment. “Mm…probably. Eiji will be up soon also.” 

“Right,” Iwa replied, “Milk time.” 

Oikawa laughed, “Exactly.” 

“Ok. Well, enjoy your show.”

“Thanks. Have a good night.”

“Mm,” Iwa affirmed, “You too, Tooru.” 

He hung up before Oikawa had the chance to say anything. And it was so fast that he almost didn’t notice. He _did_ notice but what did that even matter? It _didn’t,_ not when Iwa had already hung up. And even if he _hadn’t_ , what the hell was Oikawa supposed to say in response to his own given name like that? He couldn’t say anything. Which is probably why he sat through the last few minutes of the drama, not retaining a single thing, sitting with his legs up against his chest, and his arms around his legs, looking simply stupid, a heavy blush dusting the tops of his cheeks. 

_Tooru._

It sounded kinda nice, Oikawa thought, when Iwa said it the way he did.

* * *

 

Watching Bokuto get dressed was something Akaashi was pretty sure he’d never get tired of. Especially from the comfort of Bokuto’s bathtub, steam still heavy in the tub while the alpha tried to style his hair in the mirror above the sink.

Sitting in the bathtub, Akaashi had the best seat in the house, watching the alpha’s back muscles shift and strain with every given movement. It’d be an absolute shame, when the alpha decided to put his shirt on. 

Unless…

He didn’t _have_ a shirt to put on. 

As stealthily as he could manage, Akaashi got up out of the tub, reaching for a towel to pat his skin dry. He couldn’t help but inhale, as he wrapped himself in the towel. 

Everything smelled like Bokuto. 

“Are you doing anything after?” Bokuto called, finishing up the last bit of his hair. 

“I was going to meet with Teru,” Akaashi said, leaning against the counter, and picking up Bokuto’s dress shirt. 

Bokuto watched with a curious expression, but then just smiled, returning his attention to the mirror, “That sounds like fun. Better than having to work.” 

Slightly dissatisfied with that reaction, Akaashi let the towel drop, slipping into the sleeves of the shirt to cover himself. That seemed to be enough to grab the alpha’s attention, because Akaashi’s waist was taken by one large arm, his lips captured by Bokuto’s. 

“That looks good on you,” the alpha smirked. 

Akaashi smiled in return, lips curling against the alpha’s mouth, his arms wrapping around Bokuto’s neck. “Do you have to go to work?” 

“Believe me, I’d rather be here—”

Akaashi let his arms drop, diverting his eyes into nothing but mischief. “But, you can’t go to work, if you don’t have a shirt, right?” 

A smile creeped onto the alpha’s lips, “Akaashi…” 

The omega ran for it, laughter caught in his throat and excitement rushing in his blood as he raced to the bed, but as usual, he wasn’t fast enough.

He was never fast enough. 

He was caught, trapped between the bed and the alpha, Bokuto’s teeth tugging at his scent glands and making him whine, the alpha’s length rubbing against his ass. Akaashi’s back bowed, another sharp whine starting in his throat. 

“Dammit, Akaashi,” Bokuto exhaling into Akaashi’s ear, giving a low groan, “How am I supposed to—”

Akaashi laughed, flipping over so he could pull Bokuto into a kiss, wrapping his legs around the alpha. “You better finish getting dressed,” he teased, nuzzling the alpha’s nose, “Or you’ll be late.” 

Bokuto gave a short little growl, grinning at Akaashi and pecking his lips. “Keep it,” he nodded at the shirt, “It looks better on you.” 

He rolled off the omega, quickly trying to rummage through his closet for another shirt. Akaashi sat up in bed, bringing the collar of Bokuto’s shirt up to his nose. It was calming. 

“So what were you gonna do with Terushima?” Bokuto was struggling with the buttons on his shirt, pausing slightly to adjust the length in his pants. 

Akaashi brought the sleeves up to his nose next, humming softly to himself, “I think we were going to get a drink.” 

Bokuto stiffened, reaching for his tie and then turning to look at Akaashi, “You’re not…gonna drink a lot, are you?” 

The omega smiled, standing up and walking up to Bokuto so he could do his tie for him, “Just mocktails for me.” 

“Well,” Bokuto hesistated, “Feel free to call me, if anything.” 

Akaashi smiled, pecking his lips, “Thank you. But we’ll be fine.” 

“I know,” Bokuto bent down, scent marking the omega a bit, nuzzling against his scent glands, “Just in case, though.” He thanked Akaashi for the tie, and Akaashi thanked him for being so considerate, and Bokuto ended up scenting him again, to the point where Akaashi couldn’t help but start purring. 

“Have a good day at work,” Akaashi managed, albeit short of breath. 

Bokuto grabbed his cheeks, kissing his lips again, “I’ll try,” he grinned, “But I’m hard as a rock right now thanks to a certain someone.” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but blush as he laughed, shaking his head and nuzzling Bokuto some more, “I wonder who that could be.” 

His lips were captured again, but let go just as quickly, Bokuto saying that if they didn’t stop now he really wouldn’t be able to leave.So Akaashi stole just one more kiss, and saw Bokuto to the door, still dressed in nothing but the alpha’s dress shirt. 

Once Bokuto was gone, though, Akaashi figured it was time for him to get ready as well. After all, Terushima definitely wouldn’t let him hear the end of it if he was late. 

…

“I mean it’s a _little_ annoying considering half of them have their hair dyed like me anyway. But whatever I guess.” 

“I think an all-natural look will suit you,” Akaashi offered, the car going over a bump, and Hanzo apologizing for the road.

Terushima ignored him. “Yeah but now I look dumb as hell trying to grow my hair out. Half of it’s blonde and the other half isn’t. I look like a fucking pudding-head Akaashi!” 

The omega snorted at that, brining his hand up to cover his lips. “It’s fine. It’ll all be grown out by the wedding.” 

Terushima rolled his eyes, “It better be. This is my perfect spring wedding after all. Complete with cherry blossoms, the love of my life, and in-laws that loathe my existence.” 

Akaashi’s smile dropped, “Teru…”

“It’s ok,” the other omega waved him off, “There’s gonna be cherry blossoms. That’ll make up for it, apparently.” 

“Even still—”

“But on the bright side it’s gonna be a _huge_ wedding, which I’ve always wanted. So that’s fun. You’re bringing Mr. Alpha-Man aren’t you?” 

“The invitations did say plus-one.” 

Terushima grinned, “You think he’ll freak out?” 

Akaashi swallowed, “I’m…not sure. But, events like these are always—”

Terushima rolled his eyes again, “You can tell exactly what kind of group it is even if they’re all dressed up. Oh but that reminds me! We have our first suit fitting in two weeks.”

“Isn’t that rather soon?” Akaashi asked, “There’s still several months left before—”

“Akaashi. How long do you think it takes to get a suit tailored.” 

“Not that long, I’d hope.” 

Terushima snickered, “You know how Ushi is. The best of the best of the best.” 

A smirk fell on Akaashi’s lips, “Like your engagement ring.” 

A low groan came from his friend, followed by rolling his eyes into the back of his head, “Don’t get me _started_ on that. I’m not about to have my hand chopped off over the thing.” 

“Can I see it again?” 

Terushima nodded, tugging at his necklace and pulling it out over his shirt. Akaashi didn’t know anything about jewelry, but this was something that dripped luxury. The stone was large, but not in any way that was excessive, the true value of the ring shining through in the amount of detail that had so clearly been put into making it. 

“It gets more gorgeous every time I look at it.” 

“He’s too much,” Terushima blushed, shoving it back into his shirt, “I told him a simple ring would be fine…” 

The car slowed to a stop, and it wasn’t long before Hanzo was at the door, holding it open for them.

Akaashi smiled, “Well I think it’s sweet.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Terushima said, making a face and getting out of the car, “It’s super _romantic_ or whatever.” 

“Well it is—”

“Anyway. Aren’t you curious as to where we’re going?” 

“Well, I’m assuming—”

“You assumed correctly, my friend, we are in fact going your boyfriend’s shop.” 

“There’s a million other bars we could go to—especially in Roppongi—”

“I know! But this way we get free drinks. Am I a genius or what?” 

Akaashi made a face, “I don’t want to take advantage of him like that—”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Besides this way I’ll have help when you get shitfaced.” 

“I don’t plan on drinking—”

“Ok but you always kind of do—”

“Teru—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” He dragged his friend along, pulling him into the bar and asking for a table for two. It was all fine and well, Akaashi begrudgingly following his flamboyant friend, until Terushima suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, making them both come to an awkward halt. 

This was bad. He couldn’t let Akaashi see that. 

“Um—“ he cleared his throat, trying to block Akaashi’s view, “Actually, you’re right. We shouldn’t take advantage. What if we go somewhere else? Maybe somewhere with a patio! The breeze will feel nice—”

“Terushima,” Akaashi deadpanned, his voice matching his expression, and Teru knew he was done for, whenever the omega said his full name like that. 

“What is Ushijima doing with Bokuto?” 

Terushima smiled awkwardly at his friend, silently cursing his fiancé in his head. There was no way he was getting out of this one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally have no idea how this chapter got done but it did. Hope you all enjoy. If you follow me on tumblr you may be seeing some headcanons soon. Oh yeah, if the drama sounds familiar its because I based it off of Gomen Aishiteru which I only saw the first episode of and am super curious about how it fared out lol. Anyway. Reviews are appreciated, as always. Thanks~


	21. Chapter 21

The man who owned _The Port_ was clean. Not that that really meant anything. Some of the lowest people Ushijima had ever met had been _clean,_ so he didn’t use that as a standard by any means.

But other than that, _The Port_ was rather famous. It was where all of his men took their omegas to show off and look impressive, considering the high-end kind of quality _The Port_ offered to its guests. The bartender also made one hell of an Old Fashioned. 

Which is precisely what he ordered. Because more than investigating the owner, Ushijima just really needed a drink.

“Something got you down?” The bartender asked, placing the drink in front of him. 

It didn’t take very long for Ushijima to recognize the bartender as the owner. Not to mention he also carried Akaashi’s scent on him, which was easy enough to distinguish in its own right. At first glance he seemed like a good man. But, for Teru’s sake, Ushi would do just a little bit of prying.

So the alpha smiled, swirling the drink in his hand before taking a sip, and engaging in conversation, “I’m getting married,” he said. 

The bartender nodded, “Arranged?” 

“Quite the opposite,” he explained, “In fact, our families disagree.” 

The bartender whistled, shaking his head, “That’s always a rough one,” he began, and Ushijima sat quietly, listening, because there was a lot you could tell about a man, from the kind of advice he gave. 

And as far as he could tell (which was pretty far, mind you) this bartender, Bokuto Koutarou, was a relatively average man. Ushijima didn’t know what Yuuji was so worried about. 

“…so long as you love each other. Know what I mean?” Bokuto smiled nice and wide, while Ushijima looked him up and down. 

“You sound like someone who’s in a relationship himself.” 

The alpha chuckled bashfully at that, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, “Yeah…I—we’ve only just started dating.” 

“I take it there haven’t been any fights yet, then?” 

“Nah,” he shook his head, “Not yet. But even when that happens…” 

Ushijima lifted a brow, “What?” 

Bokuto chuckled, “I don’t know. There’s something to be said about fights too, right?” 

Giving his own smirk, Ushijima took another sip of his drink, “They’re rather troublesome.” 

“Yeah but,” the bartender gave a goofy kind of smile that Ushijima found rather curious, considering this was the man the ever-stoic Akaashi was dating. “I don’t know, it just seems like a rite of passage for a relationship, you know? Getting through the good and the bad.” 

Ushijima scoffed at that, shaking his head, “It seems you haven’t been through very much of the bad.” 

There was a hesitance, a wavering in the alpha’s eyes that gave away much more than words ever could. “I wouldn’t say that,” Bokuto replied, wiping down a glass, “We’ve all got our experiences, right?” 

“Mmm,” he nodded, “I suppose you’re right.” 

“So,” the bartender leaned in, “Must be one hell of an omega, if a guy like you seems to be worrying over it.” 

He found himself scoffing again, “He’s troublesome.” 

“Oya oya, is that how you should describe the man you’re gonna marry?” 

A sigh came from Ushijima, the alpha giving a strange sort of smile, “He’s troublesome. But I suppose that’s what’s draws me to him in the first place.”

“What do you mean?”

Ushijima offered his glass, upon which Bokuto took it, making him another drink. 

“He’s always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, and I’m left to clean up the mess.” Ushijima explained, locking eyes with Bokuto, “Even still I do it gladly. Do you know what I mean?” 

It was now Bokuto’s turn to scoff, shaking his head, “Sounds like you’ve got it bad.”

“Is that an official diagnosis?” 

Bokuto laughed, “I’m no doctor, but, I definitely know the way you feel.” 

“With your current partner?” Ushijima asked, lifting an eyebrow. His new drink was placed in front of him, Bokuto wiping his hands on a towel hanging from his apron. 

“Yeah,” he smiled, “I’d do anything for him, you know?” 

Ushijima gave a solid nod, “That I do.” 

It was precisely at that moment that the hairs on Ushijima’s nape stood at attention, Terushima’s scent catching in his nose. It was something he’d grown quite acute to, becoming able to discern his mate’s scent no matter how thick a crowd. Something he _needed_ to become acute to. 

He turned, calling out to him, because that little omega of his was keen on running, and he knew if he at least acknowledged his presence it’d be harder for him to leave. Luckily enough, Akaashi was there as well, and while it looked like Akaashi had to drag the omega towards the bar, eventually, they managed. 

“Akaashi!” Bokuto was all smiles, giving off such a happy scent that Ushijima thought that if the man had a tail, it most definitely would have been wagging. 

There was a bit of an awkward moment, but introductions were made, and Bokuto commented on the fact that it was such a fun coincidence for the two of them to have met in such a way. 

“Stressful day, Ushi?” Terushima began, a bundle of nerves, “You usually don’t drink.” 

Ushijima looked at him with a deadpan expression, taking yet another sip of his drink. 

“You asked me to investigate. I did just that.” 

Terushima looked like part of his soul had just withered away. Without thinking, he grabbed at Ushijima’s shoulder, “I _also_ asked you to be discreet, babe—”

“Investigate?” Akaashi’s eyes were livid, the omega’s expression letting Terushima know he was probably done for. 

“You’ll be happy to know he’s clean,” Ushijima informed, speaking directly to Akaashi, pointing a finger at Bokuto with the hand that held his glass. 

“Clean?” Bokuto made a face, also turning to look at Akaashi, “Did you have me checked out or something?” 

Panic filled Akaashi’s veins, the omega immediately shaking his head, “No, I told them not to—”

“He had nothing to do with it,” Terushima immediately stepped in, “It was all me—”

Bokuto made a face, still looking at Akaashi, “Did you think I wasn’t who I said I was?”

“No,” Akaashi shook his head, “Of course not—I trust you—”

Ushijima gave a low sigh, as if this weren’t the first time, “This is precisely why I tell you not to meddle in other’s affairs, Yuuji.” 

Another bartender came up, exchanging a few words with Bokuto, upon which the alpha took off his apron. He handed it to the fellow bartender, before explaining to everyone that he was needed in the kitchen. “We’ll talk later, ok Akaashi?” 

Those were the words the omega feared the most. He didn’t even have time to say anything back, before Bokuto disappeared behind the swinging kitchen doors. 

Akaashi turned to Terushima, his eyes narrowing, “I told you not to get involved—”

“Relax, it’s not like—”

“Bokuto is special to me—”

“I get that—“

“You clearly don’t! This time I—for once all I wanted—”

“I was just trying to help, Keiji! You always end up in such shitty situations so I—”

Ushijima put a hand over his fiance’s shoulder, stopping things before they could escalate. “If you two are to have a discussion, it would be better to do so outside.”

Akaashi swallowed, pursing his lips together. Without another word, he turned around, silently leaving the establishment. Teru tailed right after him, pulling the fellow omega towards the side of the building, so that they could talk properly. 

“I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t get hurt this time. You always end up picking such shitty alphas!” 

“Well sorry that I do! Not everyone can marry their high school sweetheart, Yuuji! Do you have any idea how lucky you are? I’ve never had that before. I’ve never had someone who looks at me the way Ushijima looks at you. With Bokuto I thought that maybe—” he looked down, rubbing his arm, “You…you _know_ what it’s been like for me. I’m always either an emotionless bitch or a greedy slut. But Bokuto-san doesn’t…he sees me as more than just an omega—if I lose him over something like this—”

“Oy,” Teru’s face hardened in a way that reminded Akaashi of a teenage delinquent, “If you lose him over this then he’s about as worthless as everyone else you’ve dated.” 

Shock widened Akaashi’s eyes, which worry soon began to fill. “I just…” he faltered, his voice giving him away, “I wanted this time to be different…”

A hand fell over his shoulder, and Akaashi looked up, Ushijima’s face as serious as ever. “He will understand if you speak with him.”

Akaashi trembled slightly, “I just don’t want him to think I don’t trust him—”

“Ushi’s right,” Teru tried, “If you just talk to him I’m sure he’ll get it. Bokuto’s a really nice guy.” 

“I wouldn’t have to talk to him if you hadn’t said anything in the first place,” Akaashi snarled, his voice providing more of a bite than he’d intended. 

Terushima cleared his throat, nodding his head, “I know. And I’m sorry,” he wrapped his arms around Akaashi, hugging him, “You know I can’t help myself sometimes.” 

Akaashi hugged him back, albeit a lot tighter, threatening to cut off his friend’s air, “That’s gonna get you in serious trouble one day.” 

The omega laughed at that, calling for mercy, “Ok, ok, I get it! I won’t do it again!” 

Akaashi let go with a bit of a smirk, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. “I’m going to wait for him—”

“Why don’t you wait at home? It’d be better than loitering around here until closing.”

Hesitation marked Akaashi’s voice, “What if he doesn’t show up, though?” 

Ushijima spoke up, pulling the cigarette he’d apparently been smoking from his lips, “I don’t believe you have to worry about that, Akaashi-san.” 

Terushima looked from his fiancé to Akaashi, smiling and nodding his head, “Yeah, exactly! Want a ride? We can drop you off—”

Akaashi smiled back, shaking his head, “Thank you, but I think I’ll take the train.” 

“The train?” Teru made a face, “Akaashi that’ll—”

_“Yuuji.”_

It was enough to silence the omega, Ushijima wrapping his arm around Terushima’s waist. 

Akaashi nodded, silently thanking the alpha. “I guess we’ll have to take a raincheck on our night out.” 

Terushima shook his head, saying it was fine. “You sure you don’t want a ride?” 

“Mm,” Akaashi affirmed, “I want to think for a little bit.” He then looked up at the alpha, clearing his throat a bit, “For what it’s worth, Ushijima-san…thank you.” 

Ushijima nodded his head, and Akaashi bid them goodbye, heading towards the train station. 

Yuuji watched until Akaashi turned and was no longer in sight, upon which Ushijima let his cigarette fall, putting it out with his foot. 

The omega made a face, “Since when do you smoke?” 

Ushijima smirked before putting his hand around Terushima’s shoulder, “Since a particular omega began to create needless amounts of stress for me.” 

Terushima called him mean, but laughed as he said so, leaning into the alpha and heading down in the opposite direction, where Hanzo was waiting for them with the car.

* * *

 

Akaashi finally made it home, anxiety filling his lungs and nervousness prickling at his skin. He was usually better at this sort of thing, but with his heat quickly approaching, he was becoming more and more sensitive. 

His emotions were always a complete mess, the week before his heats. And he had yet to tell Bokuto. That was already nerve-wracking as it was. But now, to top it all off, he had to explain the situation with Terushima. 

Perhaps Akaashi had overreacted a bit. But things had been going so well. Things always started off so well. All it ever seemed to take for everything to fall apart was the smallest of things. Which was probably why Akaashi was so hesitant now. 

Hesitant might have been too light a word. Freaking the fuck out was definitely a more accurate description.

Granted, Bokuto wasn’t anything like the alpha’s Akaashi had dated in the past. But at least, with those kind of alphas, Akaashi knew what to expect. With Bokuto, Akaashi had no idea how to deal with something that was this… _healthy._ Even still, he couldn’t let his past insecurities interfere with his current relationship.

His doorbell rang, and Akaashi jumped in his seat, before rushing over to go open it. His only current goal was to explain things clearly and properly.

“Bokuto—”

His voice was muffled, since the alpha brought him up to his chest, hugging him tightly and closing the door behind him. “You can smell the worry all the way out in the hall, you know.” 

That only made Akaashi tense up even more, “S-Sorry—”

Bokuto squeezed him, nuzzling softly and letting out low, rumbling purrs. “Don’t apologize.” 

It was something that always allowed Akaashi to relax, the calming scent of vanilla, and those strong arms holding him tight. But he couldn’t let Bokuto keep spoiling him like this. So he pulled away, enough so that he was facing the alpha properly. 

“I trust you completely. I want you to know that.”

“I know—”

“Terushima has a mind of his own. I asked him not to do it but he butted in regardless—”

“Akaashi,” Bokuto smiled in that kind way that always made Akaashi weak in the knees. 

“Yes?” 

The alpha leaned in, placing a kiss on his forehead, before pulling away again, “Investigate away. I’ve got nothing to hide.” 

The omega stiffened again, “It—it’s not that—”

“It’s ok,” Bokuto assured, “We’ve both had kinda rough pasts, right? I get your friend being worried about you. It’s the exact same way Oikawa felt about you at first.” 

Akaashi nodded, because he wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to do, other than to fall into the alpha’s chest again, and allow himself to drown in that reassuring scent. “I’m sorry—I’m so anxious—”

“It’s totally ok—”

The omega shook his head, looking at the alpha again, “No—well—the truth is—“ he hesitated for a moment, because this conversation had never gone well in the past, “My…my heat is due next week.” 

Bokuto blinked dumbly, staring at Akaashi with a certain gleam in his eyes, “Oh.” 

“No,” Akaashi shook his head, “I’ve—been meaning to speak with you about it,” he tugged at his fingers, still trying to hold eye contact with the alpha, “We can’t spend it together. I-It’s not because I don’t want to! I definitely want to—but I’m not on the pill…it’d just—it’d be too much of a risk. And like I said before, the pill gives me weird side effects—it’s not really an option for me—” 

Warmth filled his face, and Akaashi realized Bokuto was nuzzling against his cheek, providing him with that soft vanilla scent. 

“It’s ok, Akaashi.” 

“I know,” Akaashi closed his eyes, letting himself be a little spoiled by the alpha’s caresses, “I know it’s what alpha’s look forward to the most—“

“What _I_ look forward to the most is just being with you, Akaashi. Besides, out of the two of us, I think spending it apart is gonna be much harder on you.” 

Akaashi gave a slight nod, tugging softly at the alpha’s shirt, “Would it be alright if I borrowed a sweatshirt—or anything, really, it doesn’t have to be that big—“ 

Bokuto swiped a kiss, grinning from ear to ear, “I don’t work on Wednesday. How about you come over? We can scavenge through my closet for anything you want.” 

“Oh,” the omega’s cheeks brightened, “No, I couldn’t ask that—”

“Nests take a lot of material, don’t they? So long as you leave me with two pairs of underwear it’s fine!”

Laughter seemed to burst from Akaashi’s throat, the omega bringing a hand up to his mouth to try and suppress his giggles. “Just two pairs?”

“That’s all a man really needs,” Bokuto said seriously. 

Akaashi found himself laughing all over again, and it wasn’t long before Bokuto was picking him up, carrying him over to the couch so that they could snuggle properly. He made sure Akaashi was comfortable in his lap, before scenting him softly.

Bokuto was always so diligent in scenting him. And the alpha was so incredibly warm, half the time Akaashi was left wondering if any of this could actually be real. 

“Feel better now?” 

Murmuring, Akaashi nodded his head, snuggling further into that broad chest. 

“Good,” Bokuto smiled widely, giving a happy nuzzle, “I hate your anxious scent.” 

“You’re very kind, Bokuto.” 

“I think I’m pretty average.” 

Akaashi smiled again, taking initiative and kissing the alpha on the cheek. “No one’s ever been able to calm me down like this.” 

“Well I’m glad to be the first.” 

The omega hummed at that, a jittery, prickling sensation running through his body. He always seemed to feel this way around Bokuto. 

“Two questions,” Bokuto murmured, his nose buried in Akaashi’s hair. 

“Yes?”

“How long does your heat last?” 

Akaashi blushed, feeling somewhat embarrassed, “Almost…a full six days…” 

The alpha seemed to stiffen at that, but continued on with his next question, “Ok, and what’s your top craving afterwards? I’ll make it for you on the last day.” 

Eyes widening, Akaashi looked up at Bokuto, “Really?” 

“Of course. Heats and ruts and stuff are always rough on the stomach.” 

Akaashi bit his lip, thinking about that for a moment. “Shoyu ramen.” 

Bokuto smiled, kissing him again, “Ok. I’ll try my best. Would you be mad if I picked it up from somewhere though?” 

Shaking his head, Akaashi laughed, and brought Bokuto in again to kiss him once more. “You really are going to spoil me to death.” 

“Not to death,” Bokuto managed between kisses, “That’d be sad.” 

A snort was all Akaashi could really reply with, before he was pulled in for another kiss, and another, and another after that, the omega thinking that he’d finally found someone he’d be willing to share his heat with, once that time came. 

Because maybe, with time, that _risk_ wouldn’t be something he’d want to avoid. Maybe it was only because he was nearing his heat. But the thought of having pups with Bokuto, Akaashi decided, was not entirely unpleasant.

But that was probably jumping too far into the future.For now, he was perfectly content as he was, curled up in Bokuto’s lap, accepting every healing touch the alpha had to offer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I literally pushed through a block to get this done which is probably why this chapter is not as great as it could have been, and for that I apologize. But, you should also thank me because I was going to make this WAY angstier like to the point that it probably would've taken another chapter to resolve but then I remembered I wasn't Cel and she's gonna fuck you guys up enough as is lol. 
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> It's the end of the semester which means finals! I also have a commission I need to finish so that's my top priority rn. With respect to finals though, either the next chapter won't be out for a whiiilllee OR it'll be out right away because my coping mechanism is writing so. Yeah. We'll see lol. It could honestly go either way. That said, next chapter is gonna be absolutely freaking amazing and I'm really looking forward to writing it, so please look forward to reading it ^^
> 
> We almost have 400 subscribers to this story you guys! AND the kudos are just about matching the comments! I'm honestly speechless! Thank you so so much for your support I honestly can't emphasize this enough. Thank you all so much and if you celebrate I hope you had a happy holiday <3
> 
> Headcanons for Shinji x Eiji are up on my tumblr under #sheiji. There's like three posts I think. My friend also DREW their older selves, which you can find [here](http://madamemalfoy21.tumblr.com/post/167752064783/cool-toru-damn-toru-back-at-it-again-with-the). 
> 
> Thank you guys!!!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT: THIS CHAPTER NOW HAS ARTWORK!!](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/168289736438/fejufej-read-from-right-to-left-this-is-based) But don't click until after reading unless you want a spoiler!

It was one of the rare days Oikawa was able to pick Eiji up from daycare. He always liked days like this, because it was something he didn’t get to do often. Usually after picking him up, they’d stop for ice cream, or onigiri, or anything that really caught their fancy before heading home and starting on dinner. But today was going to be just a little bit different, because Iwa was going to be joining them for said dinner. Which was always really nice. And Eiji seemed to enjoy it too. 

When Oikawa got to the daycare, his legs were tackled, and his heart swelled the way any mother’s did when their child embraces them, Eiji excitedly calling out for _Mommy!_ It was something Oikawa hoped Eiji would never grow out of. 

“Mommy Mommy Mommy!” 

“Yes,” Oikawa laughed, wrapping his hands around his son’s back, “Yes, Eiji, I’m right here—”

Eiji looked up at him with pleading eyes, huge and round as they bore through the omega’s skull. Oikawa was almost too scared to ask. 

“…What do you want?” 

Eiji lit up, as if he’d been given the opportunity to speak, “Kento wants to have a sleepover!” 

Oh, thank goodness. Nothing that was _too_ out there. Oikawa smiled, “Of course, Eiji, you guys can have a sleepover. Maybe next weekend we can clean up your room and—”

“No no no—Mommy— _today—”_

“Today?!” 

Sakura came up to them, just then, Kento by her side. He was a rather serious boy when he wanted to be, looking like he was bursting at the seams trying to contain his excitement. 

“Kento’s been bothering me about it for weeks,” she said, “And it’s not like I have anything to do. We could do it at my house if you want.” 

“Yes! Can I Mommy?” 

Oikawa hesitated, looking from Sakura to his son, and then bending down on his knees to meet Eiji’s height, “Why not some other time, Eiji? Weren’t we going to have dinner with Mr. Iwa today? I thought you were looking forward to that?” 

“But I never get to go to sleepovers!” 

Inwardly, the omega groaned. That was a damn lie. He was getting a little tired of Eiji’s mini-tantrums. Of course, in retrospect, they probably only happened this often because Oikawa gave in every time. Maybe he should work on that.

“Iwaizumi?” Sakura perked up, before she got a devilish smirk on her face, and clapped her hands, “Well that’s perfect boys! After Eiji has dinner then you can drop him off at my house and we’ll have a sleepover!” 

The boys cheered, already too far gone for Oikawa to reel anything back in, and he looked at Sakura with a look that combined desperation with _what the actual fuck._

She tugged his arm harshly, so she could whisper in his ear, “This way you can have a _sleepover_ of your own—”

“That’s really not—”

“Tooru. How long have I known you?”

“Honestly not that long—”

“All the more reason. This is a sign of my good faith and a gesture of our friendship. You’re welcome.” 

“Sakura—”

“Honey, please. If my husband smelled as good as Iwaizumi I’d have thirty pups by now.” 

_“Sakura—!”_

“No go,” she waved him off, “Enjoy your dinner, and actually, don’t worry about dropping him off. We’ll pick Eiji up.” 

She smiled sweetly, in a way that had no doubt entranced many alphas before, telling Kento to say goodbye and to thank Oikawa-san for agreeing to the sleepover. 

Oikawa was left dumbfounded, Eiji having to tug at his hand to bring him back to the present. 

No no no no. This was too much. Too _soon._ They hadn’t even—well they _had_ but nothing like—they weren’t exactly at that level of intimacy, despite a few steamy-ish sort of nights that—but that was mostly just kissing anyway—and hands in places—wasn’t it too fast? The him from eight years ago would’ve said he was going at a snail’s pace. Which is what everyone else seemed to be saying too. Was it? Did _Iwa_ think it was a snail’s pace? Was that bad? Did he hate it?

Did _Oikawa_ hate it? 

He needed to call Koutarou. 

The thought of making dinner was rendered completely ridiculous at this point, so they stopped by KFC before heading home. Eiji was only all too happy about that, and once his son was settled and happily eating his chicken in front of the tv, Oikawa took off upstairs, so that he could talk to Bokuto in private. 

He picked up after the second ring. 

“‘Sup—”

“ _Koutarou—”_

“Uh oh. That’s a panic filled voice if I’ve ever heard one—”

“This is _serious—”_

“Go ahead—” 

“Iwa’s coming over today,”

“Right,”

“And we were all supposed to have dinner together,” Oikawa explained.

“Right, I remember you telling me—“

“But Sakura and the boys decided to have a sleepover and so—it’s just—“

“Wait, Sakura just invited her kid over to your house?”

“No, no Eiji is going to hers—Kou you’re not _listening_ —“

“Ok, ok, so what’s the problem?”

“The house is going to be empty!” Oikawa practically screeched, “It’s just going to be—just me and him—“

“You and who—”

“Me and _Iwa_ who else—”

Bokuto whistled, “So it’s finally going to happen—“

“It can’t happen!”

“Why the fuck not?”

“I—“ Oikawa struggled, “I haven’t shaved—or showered—I can’t just jump in the shower and leave Eiji unattended—“

“So take a shower with Iwa once Eiji’s gone.”

“KOUTAROU!”

“What! It makes sense!”

“But I still haven’t shaved!”

“Do you think he really cares about that? You’re both men—“

“Yes but I’m an _omega_ —“

“Oh suddenly trying to fit into the stereotype, huh?”

“Kou,” Oikawa groaned, “I’m freaking out over here. Please.”

“Ok. Here’s what you do. Have you told him yet?”

“No.”

“Ok. Call him. What time was he supposed to get there?”

“Five.”

“Tell him to get there at 6:30 instead. And have Sakura pick up Eiji at 5:00. That gives you enough time to get ready.”

“Ok. That’s a good idea.”

“Course it is. I came up with it.”

“Haha—you’re so funny—“

Bokuto chuckled into the phone, “Have fun, and deep breaths. And remember if you’re not really feeling it you don’t owe him anything.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Something tells me you’ll be feeling it though—”

“Kou!” 

The alpha snorted, “Ok but seriously, Tooru. If you don’t get laid tonight I’m hosting an intervention.”

“Koutarou—”

“Have fun getting fucked~” 

He didn’t give Oikawa the chance to reply, because he hung up immediately after. 

Oikawa swallowed, staring dumbly at his phone.

Ok. 

He could do this. 

He texted Iwa, letting him know there’d been a change of plans, casually throwing in the fact that if the alpha wanted to spend the night he could (how the hell did someone mention that _casually?)_ but he did it, and Iwa seemed to agree, so he just left the rest up to fate, because he couldn’t think about that sort of thing right now. 

Instead, he made his way into Eiji’s room, because before anything else could happen, he had to send his kid off to Sakura’s house. 

Bless Sakura. 

He packed up a small bag for Eiji, filling it with a fresh set of pajamas, his toothbrush, toothpaste, and a whole mess of other things that the young alpha probably didn’t need but were good to have regardless. At the very top of the bag Oikawa put Eiji’s favorite stuffed t-rex, so that he wouldn’t get lonely once it was time to go to sleep. He usually didn’t like Eiji sleeping with stuffed animals—dust and the like—but whenever he went away it was a little something special so that Eiji could feel more at ease. 

He then made his way downstairs with the backpack, finding Eiji’s face and fingers to be a complete mess, because no four-year-old should be left to their own devices when eating greasy chicken. Oikawa sighed, reaching for the paper towels and wetting them so that he could clean Eiji up. 

Things went _relatively_ smoothly after that, as smoothly as they could, anyway, considering Eiji was threatening to burst with excitement at any given moment, especially when the doorbell rang, Sakura asking if everyone was ready. 

Eiji and Kento seemed to give a bit of a cheer, and Sakura flashed a smile, before shooting a more flirty one at Oikawa. “Are _you_ ready?” 

“I’m fine.” Oikawa responded curtly, half wanting to stick his tongue out at her. But he held himself back, crouching down so he could give Eiji a hug, and give him one last proper scenting before they left. “Be good,” he warned, and Eiji nodded that he would, impatient to get by Kento’s side and start talking about who-knows-what. 

Sakura gave Oikawa a teasing sort of wave, her voice high pitched and taunting, “You have fun tonight too~” 

Never before had Oikawa been so glad to close a door. Once everyone was gone, he raced back upstairs—he wasn’t sure why, there was just a sense of urgency—and threw off all of his clothes, needing to hurry up and shower so that he could shave and fix his hair. 

The steam of the shower was good for his nerves, Oikawa relaxing a bit as he thoroughly washed his body. Once all that was done, he worked carefully around his lower half, making sure he looked presentable, at least, thoroughly rinsing himself off again once he was finished.

But he continued to examine his body, the droplets running down his skin as if they were racing to get to his feet. Every imperfection he had seemed to be jumping out at him, now.

He stared at his legs, razor in hand. Should he shave them? It wasn’t…uncommon, exactly. But he hadn’t up until now. Maybe just his thighs? Would that be weird? No, if he did his thighs, he’d have to do everything. He hadn’t shaved his legs in a long time. Only on special occasions. He was a man, after all. But a first time together was sort of a special occasion, wasn’t it? He bit his lip, hot water running down his back. This was too much. Was it presumptuous to be thinking that this would be their first time in the first place? What if Iwa didn’t like smooth legs? 

That was dumb. Everyone liked smooth legs. 

Wait. 

If he shaved his legs wouldn’t it be sending the wrong kind of message? Like Oikawa was expecting something? 

Well…he _was_ wasn’t he? 

_Was_ he?

He shaved his legs. 

After was felt like nearly three hours later, he finally stepped out of the shower, fresh, and clean, and shaved. It took what felt like another three hours to style his hair, fluffing it up with the blowdryer and putting in some products he hadn’t used in a while so it’d stay nice and soft. Then he fluffed it up again for good measure, making sure he didn’t have any loose hairs sticking out or making him look weird. 

He hadn’t really styled his hair like this in a while. 

But all this and Tooru was still only wearing a towel. 

He stepped out into his bedroom, dreading the thought of having to find something decent to wear. As a mother, he just no longer owned anything that could really be defined as _sexy_ anymore. Form-fitting, sure. Pants that accented his long legs? Absolutely. But sexy? It just wasn’t part of his vocabulary anymore. He poked at his stomach.

When had he gotten so pudgy? 

Letting the towel drop, he rushed over to the mirror, examining his naked form. 

Oh no. Oh no no no no _no._

Since when did he have stretch marks on his _thighs?_ The stomach was sort of a given, he’d sort of forgotten about those—had they always been that _big,_ though? And where the hell did the ones on his thighs come from?? It’s not like he’d grown any taller since high school. Did that mean they’d been there _since high school?_ Had he just never noticed? 

Oh lord they were so flabby. All of him was just— _flabby._ His breasts weren’t as perky as he remembered them being either. There was no way they really could have been, realistically speaking, since Eiji had sucked and yanked and pulled at them for nearly two years. But still, he wasn’t a _woman_. He was a man. He pressed on his chest, trying to make it look flatter. 

There was no way. Absolutely not way.

He threw the towel back on, lunging for his phone and not even letting Bokuto get in a solid greeting before blubbering into the speaker.

“Why didn’t you tell me I got UHGLEYY???” 

“What?” 

“Kou I’m so _UGLY. What happened to me??_ I used to—my legs—and my chest—but now—there’s _stretch marks—_ I’m so _old—”_

“Tooru I don’t know if you’re aware, but you did have a kid in you for 9 months—”

“I can’t—I can’t let him see this—”

“Tooru, come on—”

“Help me! What do I do? You think if I keep my shirt on it’ll be weird?”

“Tooru—“

“Or maybe the lights? I can make it pitch black if we do it in my room—”

“Tooru—”

“Or maybe just missionary the whole time and then he can just focus on my face and not—”

“OY!!” Bokuto _barked,_ and Oikawa immediately snapped his mouth shut, sitting fully erect and waiting for the alpha to speak. 

“You’re overthinking. Don’t talk yourself into a panic attack.”

“I’m not…” he grumbled.

“Iwa isn’t gonna care about any of that. Honestly I don’t think alphas care about _anything_ once they’re inside an omega—”

“But—”

“Tooru, come on. Even you know the guy isn’t that superficial right? Where’s your confidence?” 

“Nonexistent cuz I’m ugly.” He mumbled angrily into the phone. 

“Alright. You’re pissing me off now.”

“Well I can’t help it! I haven’t done this…I didn’t think I’d ever have to do this again—” 

“Did you _legitimately_ think you’d never have sex again? Dude. You’re not even thirty yet.” 

Tooru sighed into the phone, “I should have gone to the gym more…”

Bokuto laughed in response, “Tooru, when have you _ever_ gone to the gym to begin with?”

Oikawa bit his lip, “Fair enough…”

“Ok, listen,” Bokuto’s voice was soothing, like a father giving advice, “Go put on some clothes—something you feel comfortable in. You look good in everything. _Iwa_ thinks you look good in everything, which is what’s important. So just relax, enjoy the night watching a movie or some shit that you can make out to, and just take it a step at a time. If it happens, then it happens.” 

Oikawa took in a large inhale, nodding his head, “You’re right.” 

“You got this.”

“I got this.” 

“Now go get dressed and wait for your fucking man!” 

“I will!” 

“Good. Proud of you.”

Oikawa managed a weak smile, “Thanks.” 

“Hey, Tooru?”

“Yeah?” 

“Deep breaths.” 

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Thank you for listening to my moment of panic.” 

“Always do. Now stop fucking calling me.” 

The omega laughed, saying _fine fine,_ and heading over to his closet before officially hanging up. With another deep breath, he tossed his phone onto the bed and reexamined his wardrobe. 

At first he was going to go with the tightest pair of pants he could find. But then he realized those would be harder to get off. And it might make things awkward. So he settled for something more flowy instead, with a light fabric that swayed when he walked. He paired it with a loose t-shirt that he tucked into the pants, and fluffed up his hair one more time for good measure. 

He was going to go for the cologne but stopped himself, since he didn’t want anything interfering with scent. 

Shivers raced down his spine at the thought. 

Iwa’s scent was already intense enough as it was. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it’d be like once their bodies came together. 

Red burned from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. _Had he really just thought that?_

The doorbell rang, and excited little jitters ran all the way down to his toes, Oikawa rushing down the stairs to go and answer it. But he stopped himself, not wanting Iwa to hear the fact that he was _running,_ so he slowed to a normal walk instead, opening the door casually. 

At least, he hoped it was casually. 

“Hey,” Iwa said, smiling in greeting.

Oikawa smiled back maybe a bit too widely, “Hi.” 

There was a pause, and Oikawa realized he was blocking the doorway. He cleared his throat, stepping aside, “Um, come in,” he motioned with his hand, before tucking some hair behind his ear, “I’m glad you could still make it. The house is so quiet when Eiji’s gone…”

“You look great,” Iwa said, slipping out of his shoes.

Oikawa blushed a bit, “Thank you,” he managed, before noticing the bag Iwa was holding. “Oh, right, you can just put that upstairs. I mean, I can take that upstairs for you if you want.”

The alpha nodded, smile becoming somewhat sheepish now. “Sure. Are you hungry, by the way?” He asked, letting Oikawa lead him into the apartment. 

As if on cue, Oikawa’s stomach began to growl, and he wanted to stick his head in a hole from the embarrassment. 

“I picked up some food with Eiji,” he explained, climbing up the stairs, “But I didn’t really get to eat myself.”

Iwa chuckled, “I’d be down for dinner. Maybe we could watch a movie after?” 

Oikawa looked at him, “Like a date night?” 

Smiling, Iwa nodded, “Yeah. Like a date night.” 

The omega couldn’t help the sheepish smile that spread along his own lips. “Oh, uh,” he shook his head, as if to bring himself back to the present, pointing to a small chair by the bed, “You can put that over there.”

“Thanks,” Iwa did as he was told, placing the bag on the chair. Watching him do so was almost like a silent agreement that _yes_ he was spending the night and _yes_ they were finally going to take that final step. 

Oikawa’s heart pounded in his ears. 

The pair went back downstairs, scrolling through their phones to try and decide what they wanted to eat. 

Oikawa was in charge of the restaurant search, while Iwa checked out the available movies. It was a silly sort of moment, Iwa suggesting the ones meant for children, and Oikawa suggesting fast food restaurants to try and best him in the worst-suggestion game that it’d really become. Which is why it probably took them almost a full thirty minutes to actually decide what it was they wanted to do. 

Seeing as the movie started at 8:00, and it was already 7:00, their only real choices left _were_ fast food, or a convenient ramen shop. There was one by Tooru’s house, and another closer to the theatre, but Tooru suggested the one by the theatre, in case something happened with the trains. 

So without further ado they were off, putting on their shoes and heading towards the station. 

As far as dates went, it was a rather pleasant one. The ramen was ok, nothing to be amazed about, but it filled their stomachs. The movie was also pretty decent. At least, as much as Oikawa could remember. He’d been rather preoccupied with the way Iwa kept resting his hand against his thigh, or casually moving it up to brush his fingers against the omega’s neck. Did he know that it made Oikawa shiver, when he did that? Especially when a few of the more sexy scenes flashed across the screens, Iwa seeming to time it perfectly, lightly touching the omega’s scent glands so that Tooru got goosebumps all the way down his arms. 

He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t exciting, though. 

The movie had been a romantic comedy, which were always pretty good, and they got a good laugh out of it, chatting about the protagonist and their stupid adventures, the couple laughing in a way that might have been a bit obnoxious for public transport.

But they were having fun. So that was all that really mattered.

Iwa continued to tease him, in that subtle way, his arm around the omega’s waist and his thumb rubbing soft patterns into Oikawa’s side. It made him jittery, completely unable to sit still the entire train ride home. 

Five stops had never felt so far. 

But Tooru’s heart was pounding regardless. Because it was just about 10:30, now. What were they supposed to do once they got back to Tooru’s apartment? Iwa was already staying the night, sure, but they’d done that before. They’d only slept, that time though.Did that mean that Oikawa have to properly voice his consent of the current situation? That’d be a bit weird to do. But it was his fault for setting such strict boundaries in the first place. 

Part of him was deeply hoping Iwa would take the lead, which would spare him from having to worry about anything. 

Either way, though, he was more excited over this than he’d been about anything in a while. And Iwa probably felt the same way, right? Considering how much the alpha had been teasing.

All of that went out the window though, because when they finally made it inside, the first thing Iwa said was—

“Mind if I take a shower?” 

Oikawa didn’t particularly _mind,_ exactly. But he was sort of looking forward to a solid make-out session on his couch, considering all the teasing he’d endured. Besides, with all the humidity, they had managed to sweat a bit, and Oikawa had sort of kind of wanted to know the way it tasted against Iwa’s neck. Unless, Iwa wanted to shower so that they could just jump right into it? If so then that only made him all the more nervous. 

“Oh sure,” he smiled, nice and wide, “Shower’s upstairs. Feel free to use anything you need.” 

It was pretty awkward. Waiting for Iwa to shower, and then Oikawa going in to shower after him, even though he’d showered just before the date, but he didn’t want Iwa to think that he was _dirty_ or anything, so he did it, and successfully ruined all the hard work he’d put into fluffing up his hair. He dried it roughly with the towel, before putting on his pajamas.

His pajamas were nothing to drool over. Just a simple t-shirt and loose pants. 

Oh god. Wasn’t that basically what his outfit today had looked like today anyway? 

No wonder Iwa didn’t want to do anything. 

Oikawa smacked his own cheeks. Ok. No. Those were bad thoughts. Deep breaths, like Bokuto said. He had this. He was an insanely attractive, beautifully tall omega with legs that stretched into tomorrow. He could seduce anyone. Even if he was wearing pajamas. 

Puffing up his chest for courage, he ruffled up his hair a bit, and straightening his posture with the kind of confidence he wished he had, he strutted to his room, where Iwa was sitting on his bed, flipping through different channels. 

That made him a little weak. Seeing the alpha on his bed was maybe more of a turn-on that he’d have liked to admit. 

Iwa flashed him a smile, setting the remote down, giving some sort of greeting or something that Oikawa didn’t really hear, because the blood was rushing too hard and too fast in his ears. He managed to crawl onto the bed somewhat gracefully, kissing Iwa on the corner of his lip. 

“Well hello to you too.” 

Oikawa smirked, kissing him again, feeling his entire body flush with warmth when Iwa wrapped his arm around him, pulling him in and deepening their kiss. 

This was it. It was finally going to happen. 

Iwa pulled away, smiling at Oikawa sweetly, “Ready for bed?” 

His heart sunk to his stomach. 

What did that mean? Did that mean are you ready for bed or was it like are you ready for _bed._

“Oh,” Oikawa blinked, not really sure what kind of face he was making at that moment, “Are you tired?” 

If Iwa was tired then they should have just skipped out on the movie. It hadn’t been that interesting to begin with. 

“Not…particularly? It’s almost 11, though.” Iwa said, in a very matter-of-fact kind of way. 

What the hell? He wasn’t even tired? So then Iwa just _didn’t_ want to have sex? No, well, that was fine. You couldn’t force people to be in the mood. But he was an alpha. All alone in an omega’s bed. Wasn’t that supposed to kick-start his instincts, or something? 

Or maybe Oikawa just wasn’t that attractive. 

“Right,” he managed, not looking at Iwa, shifting over to his side of the bed, “I guess that’s a bit late.” 

“U-Unless,” Iwa sort of leaned over, putting his hand on Oikawa’s thigh, “You’re not tired?” 

Oikawa couldn’t help but blush, his heart pounding out of his chest. “No,” he said breathlessly, going so far as to shake his head, “No, I’m not tired.” 

That seemed to be the permission Iwa needed, because the alpha leaned in, claiming Oikawa’s mouth with his own. 

Thank god. 

This was good. It was _perfect,_ actually, because Oikawa could work with this. If they were kissing the way they were then it definitely made him less nervous. And Iwa had an overall calming presence to him, enough that Oikawa felt confident enough to let a few moans slip, confident enough to wrap his thigh around Iwa’s, granting himself a bit of relief while their mouths continued to sloppily take claim of one another. He could even feel Iwa getting hard too, especially when he nibbled at the alpha’s earlobe, playfully breathing against the skin, before nipping at Iwa’s neck. 

But. 

The only scent present in the room was Oikawa’s. Which really didn’t make any sense. Because Iwa was most _definitely_ hard against him, and his hands were even roaming up Oikawa’s back the way they usually did. So why didn’t Iwa…

Not to mention his usual scent was always so commanding. For it to not be here now, it was almost like…

Maybe Iwa just didn’t want to do that with him yet. 

Oikawa stiffened, his heart now racing for an entirely new reason. 

No, well, that was ok. He had to keep reminding himself. It was completely ok for Iwa to refuse, if he wanted to. It’d be a bit disappointing, of course, but Oikawa had no right to complain, especially not when he’d been the one to set up such a slow pace to begin with. 

“I-Iwa?” he managed, face all but red, voice shaking slightly at the end. 

The alpha kissed him, a soft smile on his face, “Yeah?” 

Quickly, Oikawa scanned his face, trying to see if he could read anything in it. “Are you—not really feeling it? I know today was supposed to be just—we don’t have to do anything—”

Iwa’s expression dropped, his brows knitting together, “What makes you say that?” 

Oikawa shifted, clearing his throat and looking down, “Well you’re—I can’t smell you…” he had enough in him to smile, tucking some hair behind his ear again, “I’m really sorry, if it felt like I was pressuring you—”

“It’s not that—” he was grabbed by the shoulders, Iwa going so far as to almost shake him, “I just—you know how strong my scent is—”

“That’s why—”

“That’s why,” Iwa corrected, “I don’t want you to regret anything. When it gets like this it—omegas kind of lose their heads.” 

Oikawa frowned, “Are you trying to show off or something?”

“No—I didn’t mean it like that—”

“Iwa,” the omega puffed his cheeks, “How many times do I have to say that this is consensual? If you make me say it it ruins the mood!” 

“I know—”

“And not being able to smell you is way worse than losing my head for a few moments. It’s always really strong at first but once I get used to it it’s not so bad. So. It’s fine already. When we’re like this and I can’t smell you it’s like you don’t really…” his voice trailed off, Oikawa losing the confidence to say the rest. 

Warmth filled his face, Iwa’s rough palms cupping his cheeks, “I got it,” he bumped his forehead against Oikawa’s, closing his eyes, “Sorry.” 

Oikawa let out a sharp exhale, “It’s fine.”

“Ok,” Iwa gave him a quick kiss, “Just—just take a deep breath.” 

Oikawa was about to ask _why_ he’d need to do that, but he found out before ever getting the chance. 

It was stronger than when Iwa was scent marking him. 

So, _so_ much stronger. 

Even without direct contact to his scent glands, Oikawa could feel it— Iwa’s scent, slithering and sliding all over his skin, as if it were circling, _squeezing_ him, threatening to cut off his air and yet giving him new breath, so strong Oikawa could _taste_ on his tongue what it meant to be with a pack leader. 

There was nothing he could even think to compare it to. 

His glands swelled, greedy to take it all in, the scent sinking into his skin and staining it, so that Oikawa no longer smelled like Oikawa, but like _Iwa_ instead, and in that moment there was absolutely nothing more that the omega could ever possibly want. 

At least, he thought. But his head was a mess, just the way Iwa had said it’d be, and it wasn’t long before a sharp whine tore at his throat, forcing his jaw open to beg for the alpha in one of the most primal ways an omega could. 

Oikawa had never made that sound before. 

Greedy lips took to Oikawa’s throat, sloppy and wet and working their way down, until his scent glands were taken hostage, Iwa capturing them between his teeth, and Oikawa squealed again, his legs kicking out under him, melting in complete submission under the alpha’s hold. 

But then it became calm, again, that strong, reassuring scent, Oikawa’s head still in a haze but not so much, Iwa’s heavy breaths against his neck about the only thing he could really register. That, and the aching between his thighs, the disgusting amount of slick that had gathered from the incredible exchange. 

It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced in his life. 

“Sorry, it’ll—” Iwa groaned, gnawing at Oikawa’s neck, and rubbing himself against the omega’s thigh, “Just let me know when you get used to it.” 

“I’m used to it,” Oikawa blurted, almost automatically, desperately wanting to know what would come next. 

“Are you sure—?”

Oikawa wrapped his arms around Iwa’s neck, pulling him in for a greedy kiss, “Yes, that’s—it’s amazing—”

Not-so-slow hands worked their way up Oikawa’s shirt, pinching at his nipples and grabbing at the bit of thickness that was left of Oikawa’s breasts, the omega letting out a soft moan and trembling under the alpha’s touch. 

“So soft…” Iwa praised, teeth grazing down Oikawa’s neck, only strengthening the goosebumps that had long since lined his arms, the alpha’s hands knowing no end to their roaming, touching and pinching and massaging Oikawa’s skin in a way that made him feel like his flesh was burning. 

He didn’t want it to stop. 

It did, of course, those large hands retreating in favor of Iwa working his way down, his hands pulling Oikawa’s shirt up so that Iwa could kiss along his abdomen. 

And Oikawa panicked. 

With one hand he tugged his shirt back down as if his life depended on it, his brows knitting painfully while Iwa looked up at him in confusion. 

“I—want to keep my shirt on—”

Iwa’s gaze didn’t drop from his, the alpha’s scent getting even stronger. “Why?” 

Oikawa shifted, still holding onto his shirt, “I-I—it’s—“ he swallowed, “I’d just feel better, that’s all…” 

Iwa continued to look at him, for so long that Oikawa thought he might just stop everything right then and there. 

But then Iwa made his way back up, his face hovering just over the omega’s, looking at him with those sharp, dark eyes. Oikawa swallowed. 

“Oikawa,” Iwa said, in such a soft whisper that Oikawa wondered how it could sound that commanding. 

“Yes,” he nodded, feeling as if it were the only appropriate thing to say. 

Iwa bumped Oikawa’s cheek against his own, before nuzzling the omega’s scent glands with his nose. And for a brief moment Oikawa almost felt paralyzed. He’d never felt this calm before. Never felt so _safe,_ so warm and _loved_ ,as if all of his tension had been melted away, his fingers slowly relaxing from the tight curl of a fist they’d formed over the bottom of his shirt. He leaned in, so that his cheek bumped against Iwa’s again. 

“I’ve…just please remember I’ve had a kid…so…” 

“All this time, and you honestly think I care about that?” 

Oikawa blushed heavily, avoiding his gaze, “I don’t…know…” 

Iwa moved back down, Oikawa stiffening but only slightly, Iwa slowly bringing Oikawa’s shirt up with both hands, dragging his fingers across the skin as he did so. 

And then he began to kiss. 

All along his stomach, over every single bump and mark, tracing the shapes with his tongue, murmuring about how beautiful Oikawa was. 

Bringing the back of his palm up to try and hide his face, Oikawa looked off to the side, “No it’s—it’s not—”

“It is,” Iwa ensured, tugging slightly at the omega’s pants to finish tracing the swirls of marks, “Every part of you— _beautiful.”_

Oikawa inhaled sharply, just then, his back arching ever so slightly off the bed, because he could _feel_ it. Was that possible? To feel the truth in the alpha’s words? It was insane, completely unheard of—that sort of thing—that was only possible through a bond, wasn’t it? But Oikawa could _feel_ it, the weight of Iwa’s words, the heavy truth that outdid anything empty flattery ever could, this overwhelming _feeling_ that nearly brought tears to the omega’s eyes. 

And suddenly he wanted more, again. 

His own clumsy hands found their way around Iwa’s back, trying to get the shirt off of the alpha. “Iwa too,” he said, “I want to feel your skin too.” 

A soft smile spread across the alpha’s lips, and he sat up to take off his shirt per the omega’s request. Oikawa didn’t take his eyes off of him for a single moment. 

With childlike entrancement, he brought his hand up to Iwa’s chest, placing his palm just beneath the alpha’s heart. He let out a shaky breath. “You work out, huh?” Iwa chuckled, bringing Oikawa’s hand up to his lips so he could kiss it, “Just the gym on the weekends.” 

Oikawa pulled his hand away, bringing it back to the toned refinement of the alpha’s stomach, “It’s paying off…” he murmured, before sitting up rather awkwardly, still driven by his awe of the alpha’s body. Without really thinking, he pressed his lips to Iwa’s abs, kissing them up and down and all the way back up to the alpha’s neck. It was probably a bad idea, getting so close to Iwa’s scent glands, because Oikawa was hit with another dizzying spell of that _scent,_ and without really meaning to, his teeth found themselves latched against the supple skin, suckling and hoping for more. 

Strong arms wrapped around his back, Oikawa letting out a little _yelp_ of a surprise when Iwa began mirroring his actions, lapping and sucking at his scent glands. 

He could feel the slick dribbling down his thighs. 

_“Are you doing that on purpose?”_

All of Oikawa stiffened, even more slick managing to gather between his legs, goosebumps going down not just his arms but his entire body, and if Iwa had said it any deeper than that the omega probably would have started to shake. 

He’d never really heard him… _growl_ like that before. 

With sparks flying in his head, Oikawa reached for the strings of Iwa’s pajama pants, pulling them loose, “Maybe?~” he tried, in the most playful way that he could. 

He was pounced on, in the way Iwa was prone to doing, Oikawa’s head hitting the pillows with a heavy sort of _thump,_ Iwa’s arms over his shoulders while the rest of him hovered over the omega with a curl to his lip that almost made it look like he was snarling. 

Fuck, that was hot. 

“I want to mount you,” he breathed, admitting the fact through open-mouthed kisses, and teeth that dragged along Oikawa’s jaw. 

The omega felt his cock twitch against his stomach. “R-Really—?”

Iwa growled again, right against Oikawa’s neck, “Fuck you and make this mine…” his teeth pulled at the scent glands that held another alpha’s mark, Oikawa shivering pleasantly while simultaneously slipping into a panic. 

No matter _how_ good that dizzying scent was, they couldn’t bond this early. 

“No,” Oikawa shook his head, trying to shake the fog away, “Iwa, we can’t—”

Soft lips pressed against his neck in a soothing kiss, Iwa reassuring him once again. “I know,” he said, peppering kisses all the way to Oikawa’s cheek, and then his lips, “That’s why I’m going to take my time.” 

The alpha slid back down, pulling Oikawa’s pants off in a motion that was almost _too_ easy, too fast for Oikawa to even really be embarrassed. Iwa was already grabbing at his thighs, eyes widening when he felt the smooth skin.

“You shaved?” 

Oikawa was hoping he wouldn’t have said anything about it. Turning his head away with a weird expression on his face, some awkward sounds gathering in his throat, “Lots of omegas…shave…” 

Within moment’s, the alpha’s mouth was on his legs, licking and slurping and _sucking,_ as if he were trying to eat Oikawa up, and as embarrassing as the whole thing was Oikawa couldn’t help but moan through it all, trying to bury the side of his face into the pillow to try and mute the sounds. 

It had been so _so_ long since he’d been spoiled like this. And Iwa was so _diligent,_ stroking him with his hands and mouth, collecting the slick that’d spilled onto his thighs until he was finally to the center of it, and _fuck_ Oikawa had forgotten how good a tongue could feel, but he wasn’t even able to enjoy it, because Iwa stopped, suddenly, moving on to kiss the tops of his thighs instead, and Oikawa realized he was whining, _mewling_ at the loss of contact, begging the alpha to give his dripping hole more attention.

“You’re soaked…” Iwa breathed, brushing his fingers over the omega’s entrance, teasing him ever so lightly, “I bet, even without stretching you out…” Gently, he pushed a finger in, Oikawa inhaling so sharply that he almost seemed to _lose_ air instead, especially when Iwa slowly began to move in and out in a torturously gentle motion. Oikawa wriggled his hips, whining slightly. 

“Two…” he managed, “Two is fine…” 

Iwa looked up at him with bright eyes, not stopping his motions, “Are you sure?” 

Oikawa nodded, almost desperately, “Yes—it’s fine,” 

Slowly, Iwa added a second finger, and even just with this Oikawa felt _full,_ happily letting out soft purrs to entice the alpha to continue. 

Iwa didn’t seem to need much more than that, curling his fingers every so often, scissoring and stretching Oikawa’s walls almost expertly, until the omega was mewling beneath him once more. He leaned forward, so that their chests were touching, and he could kiss Oikawa while his fingers pleasured his insides. 

“You’re even wetter than before—”

“Because you’re going so slow—”

“But you’re close, aren’t you?” Iwa grinned, bumping his nose against Oikawa’s.

Oikawa tightened around his fingers, curving his back ever so slightly, “How—how can you tell?” 

“Your body’s honest,” Iwa murmured, leaning in to kiss him, “And your scent right now…it’s incredibly sweet.” 

With one more curl of his fingers Oikawa broke, creaming onto the alpha’s hand, slick spilling onto his palm in a way that was almost embarrassing. His cock twitched again, as if it were begging for attention as well. 

Iwa pulled his fingers out, licking them clean, making a show with his tongue as he licked up the stray juices that had slid down his arm. 

To say Oikawa’s face was red, would be a horribly inaccurate understatement. “That’s—you don’t have to—”

“I want to,” Iwa nearly _barked,_ in a way that left no room for debate, “And I want more.”

He dropped down to Oikawa’s leaking entrance, licking it all up and sticking his tongue in, murmuring against Oikawa’s skin so much that the omega got goosebumps, that deep rumble of a voice shaking him to his core. He couldn’t help but clutch at Iwa’s hair, because even though the alpha kept saying _just a bit more,_ it was a _lot_ more than just a _bit._ Iwa wouldn’t stop stroking and sucking with his tongue, pressing it in against Oikawa’s walls and it was so _good_ but not _enough,_ and Oikawa seemed to think that the more he squeezed the alpha’s head between his thighs the deeper he’d go, the more he’d—

High-pitched whines tumbled from the omega’s mouth when Iwa pulled away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and commenting on how _delicious_ Oikawa was. 

That only made his legs go weak. He was aching—throbbing, _pulsing,_ all at once— and all he wanted was for Iwa…

His breath trembled from his lips, hoping that his scent said what he couldn’t bring himself to voice. “I-Iwa,” he tried, hands shaking from desperation alone as they clutched at the sheets, “Please…” 

Iwa nodded, struggling a bit to take off his own pants, which was a wonderful sight to see, the outline of the bulge that linedthem, the way the tip of the alpha’s cock was peeking out through the tops of his boxers. Oikawa nearly found himself drooling. But soon enough the pants were off, joining the other loose layers of clothing—wherever they were—but that wasn’t important now, because right now, Iwa was pressing himself right against Oikawa, hot and thick and everything those toys could never grant him, and the alpha grabbed the top of his head, pressing their foreheads together and letting out a shaky exhale. 

_“I love you.”_

Oikawa’s breath hitched, his chest tightening, and when Iwa finally slid in Oikawa couldn’t help but moan a sigh of complete satisfaction, reveling in the way the alpha stretched him out so nicely. Dammnit he was gonna make him cry.

“Me too,” he managed, voice hoarse and only just above a whisper. 

There was no time for crying, though, because Iwa pulsed inside of him, pleasure rolling through Oikawa’s body. 

Gods, that was so good. If Iwa tried to push in just a little deeper then he’d be hitting a good spot, Oikawa knew. So he squirmed a bit, letting the alpha know that he was used to it, grabbing at his neck and bringing him in for a kiss. 

“You can move,” his breathing was raspy, trying to contain his excitement, “If—just a little deeper—can you try—”

Iwa pulled out, before pushing back in. “Oikawa…” he murmured, his voice trailing off.

“What?” Oikawa asked, cocking his head.

Iwa kissed his cheek sweetly, smirking with the kind of pride Oikawa had never seen from him before.

_“It’s only halfway.”_

The omega hardly had time for his eyes to widen, Iwa sinking into him and hitting the very edge of his core, Oikawa _screaming,_ his legs tightening and his toes curling so much that his back arched, his own cock spilling all over his stomach despite not being touched even once. 

That _scent_ was back.

What was it that Iwa had said? Omegas losing their minds? 

That didn’t even begin to describe it. 

Without really meaning to, his nails dragged down Iwa’s skin, hooking around his back as the omega cried out for more. 

He wanted it— _needed_ it, his legs wrapping around Iwa’s in any way he could, nails digging into flesh to try and get closer, to have _more,_ that _scent_ raping his senses, making his head spin and his voice weak and _oh, gods,_ the way Iwa _felt_ inside him, pulsing and thrusting and stretching his walls and pounding into certain spots that just made Oikawa _break._

“Iwa,” he begged, holding the alpha’s face and trying to manage a sloppy kiss, “Iwa—“ 

“Fuck,” the alpha spoke into his mouth, taking the omega’s lips between his teeth, “You’re so wet—”

“More,” Oikawa begged, “Fuck me more—”

“I’m not stopping—“

Oikawa wasn’t even orgasming, but it _felt_ like he was, with every give and take of their flesh, every sloshy, crude sound that was made when their bodies smacked together, every low _growl_ that Iwa groaned into his ears, every _thrust_ that made Iwa’s stomach brush up against Tooru’s cock, hardly doing anything to relieve the tension of his leaking length but it was enough to _want_ it, to feel even _more,_ and with every hiccup Oikawa made when the alpha hit his core it felt like he was torturously teetering over the edge in delicious torment. 

“So thick,” Oikawa whimpered, his entire body trembling with desire, remembering the way Iwa had felt in his mouth, realizing that either way was good, “Iwa’s so _thick—”_

He _yelped,_ Iwa giving him a sharper thrust than before, separating himself slightly so that he was now on his knees, Oikawa still flat on his back beneath him. “Are you doing it on purpose?” He hoisted Oikawa’s thighs up over his own, pulling the omega’s body to meet his. 

Oikawa moaned, pleasured sighs filling the room. That was even deeper than before. “Doing—wh—what—”

He was drowning, his head a complete mess as Iwa continued to pound, over and over again into that spot that was driving him _crazy,_ completely unashamed and unabashed as he let himself voice _just_ how good he was feeling, especially when the alpha began to jerk him off as well, the amount of stimulation nearly making him see white. 

Iwa groaned, faltering slightly, and Oikawa’s breath hitched in a gasp that never fully formed, everything suddenly very tight—or maybe Iwa had just gotten bigger—and the thought alone had the omega shivering in delight, purring seductively as he asked for even more. 

The alpha gave a sharp growl, his hand shooting up to claim Oikawa’s jaw, squeezing and propping his chin up. “I’m going to mount you.” 

Everything Oikawa had left seemed to melt under Iwa’s hold. He nodded, his eyes nearly rolling back in pleasure, “Mount me—mount me, _Alpha_.” 

Iwa seemed to snap, just then, based on how quickly he flipped Oikawa around, sinking in again all the way to the base, his balls smacking against the omega’s plump ass. 

Oh, how Oikawa _screamed._

Especially now, since the alpha had access to his back, and he didn’t seem to let go. Greedy fingers traced up and down his spine, until that wasn’t enough anymore, and so Iwa settled his hands around Oikawa’s hips, squeezing them whenever he plunged in, making Oikawa’s voice shoot up in shrill squeaks. When that wasn’t enough, Iwa resorted to his tongue, licking the omega’s spine and sucking just below his neck, tracing the beautiful curve that formed as a result. 

He was close. 

With a few more thrusts he could feel his knot threatening to catch, and despite all the haze he tried to ask—wanted to make sure—but Oikawa started to move his hips to meet him, mouth open and tongue sticking out, damn near crying for a knot. 

So Iwa gave it to him. 

He wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s torso before thrusting his hips up _hard,_ locking them in place and cumming from the way Oikawa mewled in his ears, that delicious sound sending him over the edge. It was enough for his vision to blur and his legs to go weak, Iwa reveling in how much Oikawa was trembling in his hold, somehow managing to realize that Oikawa had cum too, and unable to hold back his instincts he bit at the omega’s shoulder, because he had to bite _something,_ and Oikawa screamed in that delicious way again, Iwa unable to hold out anymore and collapsing on his side, hoping with what little sanity he had left that Oikawa was comfortable enough for now. 

Spooning was always a safe enough bet. 

Heavy panting and lewd moans slowly began to fade into soft breaths and comfortable sighs, Oikawa moaning and trembling every time Iwa gushed his seed into him.

Sweetly, gently, Iwa nuzzled the omega, giving low purrs that were more than just soothing. Oikawa nuzzled him back, murmuring and sighing contentedly. 

“Sorry…” Iwa said, finally, brushing his nose against Oikawa’s cheek, “I know that was probably too much…” 

To his surprise, Oikawa began to laugh, which was cut off slightly, because Iwa’s seed gushed into him again. Iwa said nothing, waiting for him to speak. 

“It’s too much, you know.” 

“I know. I’ll do better at holding back next time. Did I hurt—”

“Iwaizumi Hajime. If you fuck me any softer than what you did today I won’t ever forgive you.” 

He swallowed, “Wait, what—”

“That was amazing…” Oikawa purred, shifting and wriggling his hips, squeezing the tip of Iwa’s cock. 

“I’m…glad you think so…”

Oikawa laughed again, humming softly to himself, “Who knew you could be so selfish in bed. Mr. I’m-So-Understanding—”

“Sorry,” Iwa said immediately, “I’ll work on it—”

Oikawa grabbed his hand, hooking Iwa’s fingers with his own, “Don’t. I like it.” 

“Okay,” Iwa said, nuzzling him, “Anything you want.” 

Oikawa brought their hands up, so that he could kiss Iwa’s fingertips. “You know…” he said, his voice softer than before. He craned his head around to look at the alpha, “It’s not your scent that makes omegas lose their minds.” 

Iwa crinkled his features, “It’s not?” 

“Mmmm,” Oikawa hummed, “Well part of it, maybe.” 

Iwa suckled on Oikawa’s shoulder, “And the other part?” 

Oikawa was filled once again, warmth spilling into his stomach. Suddenly, he was embarrassed. “Everything…” he murmured, “Just…all of you.” 

“I think you mean this part,” Iwa shifted inside him, making Oikawa’s breath hitch, “Right?” 

“Mmm,” Oikawa scoffed, craning his neck, and placing his hand over Iwa’s face so that they’d meet in a kiss. “Don’t get cocky,” he said, “I still don’t like pushy alphas.” 

“And I still think that’s not really true.”

Oikawa laughed, nuzzling and settling himself into Iwa’s hold, letting his eyes flutter closed. Before either of them knew, they’d fallen fast asleep. 

* * *

 

Iwa was the one to wake up first, what with the way his cock was throbbing, begging for some kind of release. He groaned, trying to roll over before he realized he was still inside of Oikawa. 

That only managed to get him even harder. 

Flashes of last night filled his head, only adding to the torture his cock was currently facing. Even still Iwa would never complain, because being in Oikawa’s bed like this, the sheets smelling so much like _them_ to the point that it was _overwhelming…_

That was what every alpha wanted. 

With every ounce of self-restraint he had left, he slid out, groaning as he did so, before spooning the sleeping omega normally. Of course, he took every opportunity to grind his needy cock against the omega’s ass. 

He couldn’t really help himself. 

Last night had been beyond words. God fucking bless Eiji’s capricious need for a sleep-over. He hadn’t counted on reaching this next step with Oikawa so fast. But _fuck_ if it hadn’t been everything he’d hoped for and more. 

So, so much more. 

He checked the time, noting it to not even be eight in the morning yet. He didn’t want to wake the omega up. Oikawa deserved to sleep in. But Iwa was more selfish than he thought, and so he found himself nuzzling and nibbling the omega’s scent glands, hoping the omega would wake up on his own. 

Oikawa did eventually begin to stir, murmuring to himself and giving an obnoxious yawn, groaning and flipping around, so that his face nuzzled against the alpha’s chest. 

“Yer ebly enda orning.” He grumbled, voice half lost against Iwa’s skin. 

The alpha couldn’t help but chuckle, “What?” 

Oikawa looked up, letting out a soft, sleepy sigh, “You’re _lively_ in the morning,” he repeated, rolling his hips against Iwa’s heat. He faltered, but only just, bringing his hand up to Oikawa’s cheeks, rubbing his thumb over the skin.

“What man wouldn’t be hard waking up next to you?” 

Oikawa laughed incredulously at that, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, “You’re a smooth talker, Iwaizumi Hajime.” 

“Only sometimes…” he leaned in, hoping for a kiss. 

Oikawa granted it, letting out soft, satisfied sighs. 

“I’m definitely the luckiest alpha in the world,” Iwa said, embracing him, pulling their bodies flush against each other as he dipped his head for another kiss. 

Oikawa smiled, though his ears burned slightly at the alpha’s words, happily accepting all the sweet kisses Iwa had to offer. And even though they were sweet, Oikawa couldn’t help the hushed whines that trickled between their lips. 

“Iwa…” he moaned, flesh brushing against flesh. 

“Don’t do that,” Iwa said, breaking their kiss, “I’m begging you.” 

Oikawa pulled him back in, “Don’t do what?”

“Sound like,” Iwa struggled, speaking into Oikawa’s mouth, “Like you’re melting beneath me,” 

“Why not?” 

Iwa brushed his thumb along Oikawa’s bottom lip, cupping his face, “It just makes me wanna devour you all over again.” He moved his thumb once again, and Oikawa nipped at it playfully, looking up at the alpha with such innocent eyes that were still so heavy with sleep that Iwaizumi’s reason nearly snapped in half. 

Cocking his head, Oikawa batted his lashes, taking Iwa’s thumb into his mouth, moaning and sucking softly.“Maybe I want you to.” 

It was precisely at 8am on that sunny Saturday morning, that Iwaizumi Hajime’s reason more than just snapped in half. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet~ you all~ thought~ this~ would be~ the Disney~ chapter~
> 
> HA! SURPRISE BITCHES!
> 
> I was so sexually frustrated writing this holy hell I need to go get my own Iwa-chan. Anyway. Happy December to you all. It's my favorite month because it's my birthday on the 18th and YES I will shamelessly throw that out there because I can. Don't wish me a happy bday yet though cuz it's too early and it makes me too anxious for future presents. 
> 
> Anyways.
> 
> You guys. I'm so glad Oikawa got dicked omg. I've been waiting so fucking long for this moment. I know I probably sound hella thirsty but I don't even care lol. Hope you all enjoyed~ AND this chapter broke 9k words like this is officially my longest chapter and this is officially the longest fic I've ever written! I'm super excited! 
> 
> Also, just for the record, because for some fucking reason I always get comments after a chapter like this, Oikawa is NOT pregnant. Honestly it's a dumb fucking comment to make because first of all he's on birth control, and second of all they've literally fucked once, and it'd be impossible to tell after only 5 hours. So chill your butts. If you ask me if he's pregnant imma be upset. 
> 
> That said, comments are very much appreciated as always and honestly kind of REQUIRED because it took 22 FUCKING CHAPTERS TO GET HERE so please appreciate me lol. Have a great weekend everyone!
> 
> Also, Cel, darling if you're reading this, BANG BANG ITS THE POLICE *firework emoji*


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More people did art!! Thank you so much I'm honestly so blessed <3 [Precious Momma Tooru and Eiji](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/168344509513/dmochii-some-mama-tooru-and-his-son-eiji-from) and [Shinji!!](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/167928157283/spottedwithfreckles-its-shinji-from) Art was also done for the steamy "halfway" scene! It's linked in the previous chapter if you haven't seen it already!

“Iwa—” Oikawa laughed, trying to shake him off, “Iwa— _stop—”_

High pitched giggles ringed brilliantly in the alpha’s ears, Iwa thinking he could melt from the sound alone. But no matter how much Oikawa told him to stop there was no way he was going to, because the omega’s scent was saying the exact opposite, and the fact of the matter was that Oikawa’s scent glands just tasted too good for Iwa to let go. 

“I’m— _trying_ to make breakfast—”

“So make breakfast—”

More laughed bubbled from the omega’s lips, craning his neck and trying to pull away, “How am I supposed to do that if you keep—Iwa!”

Oikawa was flipped around, back pressing into the edge of the counter, lips pressing against lips. 

The omega gasped, shooting him a playful smirk, “You’re gonna make me burn my pancakes.” 

“That would be unfortunate,” Iwa said leaning in to kiss him again. Oikawa dodged it, giggling, crouching beneath the alpha’s arms and returning his attention to the stove, where he flipped the pancake over. Iwa didn’t think much of it, simply hugged him from behind, inhaling that sweet scent from Oikawa’s scent glands, and resting his chin on the omega’s shoulder. “You’re pretty good at that.” 

Oikawa smiled, glancing at him briefly, before flipping another pancake, “I make them every weekend for Eiji.” 

“So you’ve had 4 years worth of practice.”

“Yes, sir.” 

“I’ve said it before,” Iwa said, murmuring against Oikawa’s shoulder, “But it’s amazing, how much you do for him.” 

Oikawa shrugged, sliding the pancakes onto a plate, “I’m just a mom. It’s nothing too special.” 

Iwa undid his hold, so that Oikawa could properly work on plating, “It’s super special. Don’t sell yourself short.” 

Oikawa smirked again, shoving a piece of pancake into Iwa’s mouth, “I never do.” 

They headed over to the table, where Iwa scooched his chair impossibly close, dragging his teeth every so often across Oikawa’s neck, the omega struggling to eat. 

“Stop it—”

“Why—“

“At this rate we’ll need another shower—”

Iwa looked at him, not bothering to hide his smirk, “What’s wrong with that?”

“Iwaizumi!” Oikawa laughed, smacking the alpha on the shoulder, “Just eat your damn pancake. I have to pick up Eiji soon.” 

Iwa couldn’t help but smile all the way through, finally bringing his attention to the plate in front of him. “Would it be ok if I go with you?” 

“To pick him up?” Oikawa asked, covering his mouth with his hand while he chewed.

“Yeah. If that’s ok, I mean.” 

Oikawa smiled, “Sure. I think he’d like that. Since he didn’t get to see you yesterday, or anything.” 

“Yeah,” Iwa nodded, grabbing another forkful, “It feels like it’s been a while.” 

“Oh!” Oikawa finished chewing, covered his mouth, and swallowed, “But I have to stop by the bakery to give Sakura a little something. I mean if it weren’t for her—”

He cut his speech, his cheeks starting to redden. 

_Where the hell was he going with that sentence?_

“If it weren’t for her what?” 

Iwa was smirking again, and so Oikawa lifted his head, ignoring him, “You already know what.” 

The grin didn’t fade, the alpha leaning in even closer, his hand on the back of Oikawa’s chair, “We wouldn’t smell like this?” 

Oikawa’s heart began to beat fast, the omega sitting up perfectly straight, “Probably not…”

“That’d be a shame,” Iwa murmured, his breath fanning over Oikawa’s lips. 

“It would be…” the last word broke off in a soft moan, Iwa’s lips meeting his own, sweet with syrup and slightly swollen from the night before. 

Iwa brought his hands up behind Oikawa’s ears, scratching softly behind them, “I like when you do that,” he admitted, kissing him again. 

“Mmm,” Oikawa hummed, "Do what?” 

“Moan for me,” Iwa teased, tugging at the omega’s lip with his teeth.

“ _For_ you, huh?” Oikawa giggled stupidly into his mouth, nibbling the alpha right back. 

Iwa caught Oikawa’s chin, tilting it up ever so slightly, flashing another smirk, “Aren’t you?”

“Maybe I’m doing it for myself,” this time it was Oikawa who leaned in, alpha and omega exchanging kiss after kiss after kiss. 

Pulling away with pink cheeks, Oikawa licked at his lips, teeth tugging at them in embarrassment. “We should…get back to breakfast…” he suggested. 

“It’s delicious,” Iwa said, putting a bit of pancake on his fork, and offering it to Oikawa, “But I thought you didn’t like sweet things.”

Oikawa took it, chomping down on Iwa’s fork, “Not usually,” he chewed a bit, taking the statement into consideration, “But I like pancakes.” 

Iwa narrowed his eyes, pulling his fork back, “I think you’re just picky.”

“Rude,” Oikawa snorted, picking up a bit of pancake on his own fork, and then holding it up, mirroring Iwa’s actions. Iwa looked from the fork, to Oikawa. “What?”

Oikawa rolled his eyes, putting his hand under the fork so the syrup wouldn’t drip onto the floor, “Don’t _what_ me. Take some. I took a bite from you so now you take one from me.”

Iwa leaned in with a doubtful look on his face, taking the forkful, “Why do I feel like you’re not doing this to be sweet?” 

The omega took his fork back, returning to his breakfast, “I’m not. Now everything’s even.” He explained, with a bit of a triumphant smile on his face. Iwa couldn’t help but chuckle, because when Oikawa let his quirks show like that, it was absolutely adorable. 

“Mmm,” Oikawa downed his tea, putting the cup back down on the table in a rush, “We should get going. I wanna have enough time for the bakery.” 

“There’s no rush,” Iwa said, relaxing in his chair, “We’ve got time.”

“Early is on time, on time is late,” Oikawa said wiping his mouth with a napkin, “Words I live by.” 

“I had a coach who said the same thing,” Iwa said, taking his last bite and then helping Oikawa with the plates.

“Smart coach,” Oikawa grinned, taking the plates from Iwa and putting them in the sink. He quickly rinsed his hands, before asking Iwa if he was ready to go. 

“Not gonna wash em?”

“What did I just say about being early?”

Iwa chuckled again, “Right, right, my bad. Let’s go.” 

They walked to the bakery first, Iwa hooking his hand around Oikawa’s waist easily, keeping him purposely close, Oikawa letting out soft purrs every now and again, because more than anything else, he just really couldn’t help it. Not after the night they’d spent together. 

A small bell jingled when they entered the bakery, Akaashi greeting them formally, with a pleasant smile on his face that quickly shifted to a smirk, he and Oikawa exchanging a certain _look._

Oikawa cleared his throat, “We’re just looking for something simple…like a gift box?” 

Akaashi had a smile on his face that was more than just professional friendliness. “Of course,” he motioned with his hand, “They’re over here on this end,” he said, guiding them towards the other side of the display case. 

Akaashi had always had quite the poker face. It had saved him on more than one occasion. This was definitely one of those occasions. 

The scent was sort of incredible. How claiming it was, how _territorial_ it was, the other alphas in the shop visibly shifting in their seats. 

Oikawa must have had _quite_ the night, to be smelling like that. It was exciting, if only because Akaashi found his thoughts drifting, remembering the past weekend he’d spent with Bokuto, which had _also_ been quite the weekend—

“Akaashi?” 

He wasn’t sure _how_ many times Oikawa had to say his name, but he snapped out of it quickly enough, picking out the requested gift box and ringing them up accordingly. 

Akaashi watched them walk out, hand in hand, Oikawa laughing beautifully at something that Iwa must have said, Iwa holding the door open for him as they walked out. 

Finally, once they were out of sight, he cracked, a smile spreading across his lips, his fingers itching to reach for the phone in his pocket.

Bokuto most _definitely_ needed to hear about this. 

Meanwhile, outside, Oikawa and Iwa were debating on whether to take the train, or to just go back and get Oikawa’s car. Oikawa argued that he didn’t want to bring the sweets on the train, but Iwa offered to carry them so Oikawa wouldn’t have to. 

Oikawa agreed, on the condition that if any harm came to the box Iwa would have to replace it. 

“That little faith in me, huh?” 

Oikawa gave a teasing, sideways kind of smile, upon which Iwa playfully nipped at the omega’s neck. 

In the end, they chose the train, because the distance wasn’t far, and it was much easier than going back for the car. 

When they got to Sakura’s house, the look on her face said it all. 

“Well well _well,”_ she mused, her face full of pride, “Did the two of you have fun last night?” 

“Here,” Oikawa said, taking the box of sweets from Iwa and shoving it into her arms, “A thank you.” 

“Oooh,” she examined the box, “A well deserved one at that,” she winked at her friend, inviting them inside. 

Oikawa politely refused, saying they had to get going. Sakura nodded, saying she understood. The life of a mom was to be perpetually on the go. By then Eiji had gathered his things, and said goodbye to Kento, sitting at the entrance and slipping on his shoes. 

“He already had breakfast and everything,” Sakura explained, “So no need to worry about that.” 

“Thank you so much,” Oikawa said again, “You know…for everything.” 

Sakura flashed him another smirk, “Believe me, it was my _pleasure.”_

Oikawa didn’t like the way she said that, so he urged Eiji to hurry up and put on his shoes. Eiji was basically done regardless, though, and he came up to his mom with wide, curious eyes. 

All the adults seemed to hold their breath, because they already knew the question that was coming. 

“Mommy, how come you smell like Mr. Iwa?” 

There it was. 

Both mothers paled at once, and both answered at the exact same time:

“We scented!”

“They scented!”

Oikawa and Sakura locked eyes, both laughing nervously. Eiji simply continued to look at his mom curiously, cocking his head as though he were thinking. 

“Like how Uncle Bokuto scented Mr. Akaashi?” 

“Yes,” Oikawa said quickly, ushering his son out the door, “Exactly like that. Now say goodbye and thank Kento for inviting you over.” 

Eiji did as he was told, as much as he was able to, anyway, considering Oikawa basically dragged them all out of there as fast as was humanly possible. 

It didn’t come without Sakura giving another flirty wave of her hand, and saying she hoped they all had a _lovely_ day. 

Oikawa ignored her, knowing he’d probably have to give her a run down of last night sometime soon. 

As they headed towards the train, they all walked hand in hand, Oikawa holding Eiji’s right hand, and Iwa holding Eiji’s left. 

It was a scene Oikawa had imagined countless times. Not with Iwa, exactly. But in the general sense, he and Eiji with a caring alpha, all linked together while they walked. It was something he’d always wanted for Eiji. To feel the warmth of two hands; of two parents. Of course, now that it _was_ happening, Oikawa was glad that it was with someone like Iwa. 

The train ride consisted of Eiji recounting his sleepover with Kento, and, once they were back in their own neighborhood, Eiji began to explain to Iwa that Mommy had said his scent glands weren’t big enough to scent mark people yet, so he had to wait until he was older. 

Iwa laughed when Eiji told him that, saying that Oikawa was absolutely right. 

Oikawa made a note of saying that that sort of thing could wait until he was _much_ older, he and Iwa side by side now, while Oikawa still held on to Eiji with his right hand. 

He let go for a moment, a single _moment,_ even _less_ than that, to push on the crosswalk button. And in that blink of a moment, Eiji was gone, running in the opposite direction with the moving crowd, headed towards the park.

Oikawa had never felt so much fear in his entire life. 

“EIJI!!” His voice cracked, his legs taking off and chasing after him on instinct alone, Oikawa crying out for his son and pushing any and everyone who dared stand in his way. He booked it through the park, heart in his throat, finally grabbing Eiji by the shoulders in a motion that could almost be described as a tackle.

“Don’t you dare do that to me! What would I do if something happened—!”

“But Mommy! Shin—”

“I don’t care!” Oikawa yelled, pulling his son in, hugging him tight and scent marking him strongly, “Don’t you ever do that again!” He pulled away, so that Eiji would be looking him in the eye, Oikawa brushing his son’s hair back to soothe his own nerves, “You always need to tell Mommy where you’re going remember? So you don’t get lost and bad things don’t happen.” 

Eiji nodded, somewhat understanding but still visibly confused, “That’s why Mommy holds my hand!” 

“Yes,” Oikawa nodded, giving a small sigh of relief, and pulling his son back in for another hug, “Yes, that’s exactly right.”

Iwa had caught up to him by now, crouching down next to them and putting a steady hand on Oikawa’s back. “It’s fine, Tooru. He’s fine.”

“Mommy,” Eiji’s voice was muffled, “Can you let go now?” 

Oikawa did so reluctantly, upon which Eiji began to point excitedly. “Shinji is on the swings! Can I go??” 

Letting out another sigh of relief, Oikawa nodded his head, “Yes, but Eiji, you need to _promise_ me. You will _never_ run into the street like that again.” 

Eiji nodded happily, a large smile on his face, and Oikawa let him go, watching as his son ran over to the sand pit. Iwa put his arm over Oikawa’s shoulder, giving him a quick side hug of encouragement. “He’s ok.” 

“My heart’s beating like crazy,” Tooru’s voice quivered slightly, his hand going over his chest as if to stop the pounding. 

But suddenly, he could feel it fading, a soft, faint scent putting him at ease, as if Iwa were trying to lull him to sleep. His arm was rubbed up and down, and Oikawa found himself leaning into the alpha, relaxing in his gentle hold. 

“Better?” Iwa murmured.

“Mm…” Oikawa nodded, realizing they’d been standing together like that for just a _little_ too long, and so he pulled away, smiling shyly. He took the moment to tuck a loose strand of hair behind his ear, “Thank you.” 

Eiji came running back to them, Shinji and his father in tow. “Mommy!! Can Shinji come over?!! Please??!!” 

The omega’s father stepped forward, extending her hand, “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Shinji’s father, Yamamoto Akari.” 

Oikawa took it, shaking her hand, “Oikawa Tooru. Sorry if Eiji interrupted anything.” 

She laughed, “Not at all. He’s a rambunctious little thing, isn’t he?” 

“Too much for his own good,” Oikawa chuckled in reply, ruffling up his son’s hair, which Eiji didn’t appreciate. 

“Well,” she said, beginning in a matter-of-fact kind of tone, “I don’t mind them playing for a bit. But I had to do some grocery shopping, so I wouldn’t be able to watch them.” 

Oikawa shot a quick glance at Iwa, because this was the second time they’d been interrupted, when the three of them were all supposed to spend time together. 

Well, it’d worked out wonderfully the first time. But still. 

“I don’t mind,” Iwa said shrugging nonchalantly, “Playdate sounds fun.” 

Oikawa turned back to Akari, smiling and shrugging his shoulders, “We live in those apartments right across the street. We could take care of Shinji while you take care of groceries, if you’d like.” 

“Ok, I shouldn’t be too long, maybe two hours at the most to give them time?”

“Yeah, that’s no problem.” 

Eiji was a little ball of excitement, yelling at Shinji about all of the toys he had at his house and how they could play with all of them. 

He paused only when Shinji’s dad hugged Shinji goodbye, telling him to be a good boy and to be careful with his new glasses. 

“I didn’t know you got new glasses!” Eiji spoke, barging his way through any and all conversations. 

Shinji shrunk into himself, adjusting the rims shyly, “My frame was bending…on the other ones…” 

Akari bid goodbye to Oikawa and Iwaizumi, and once that was done Oikawa took hold of his son, telling everyone to hold hands since they were going to cross the street. 

Eiji stuck his hand out eagerly, waiting for Shinji to take it. 

Little Oikawa Tooru Eiji had never really held hands with Yamamoto Shinji before. The omega’s hands were really cold, which he found surprising, but not unwelcome. 

“Are you cold?” He shouted, and Mommy told him to quiet down, because they were crossing the street. 

Shinji just shook his head, because he didn’t really talk much, but Eiji thought he must’ve been lying, because his cheeks were kinda pink, and that only happened when you got cold. 

Once they got into the apartment, Eiji did everything he could to make sure Shinji would have fun. “We can play dinosaurs! Or with my racetrack! And I have lots of stuffed animals or—a box of blankets Mommy gave me—for capes! And I have _tons_ of books if you want to look at the pictures—!”

“Eiji,” Mommy came in, using his Mommy voice, the kind that happened right before he got in trouble, “You’re talking about a mile a minute. Don’t overwhelm Shinji.” 

Shinji looked up from Mommy to Eiji, “I like playing pretend…” he admitted. 

“Oh!” Eiji lit up, grabbing the omega by the arm, already tugging him up the stairs, “We can play house!!” 

“Be gentle Eiji!!” Mommy yelled at him from the bottom of the stairs, but it wasn’t an angry yell, just a normal yell. So Eiji kept pulling, showing Shinji around his room. 

He showed him all of his cubbies, just in case there was anything in them they could use, but mostly he did it to show off how organized he was, because Mommy always said that being organized made people like you more, and Eiji wanted Shinji to notice. 

Shinji ended up picking a few things from the cubbies, and even though they were playing house, they threw blankets over their shoulders to wear as capes regardless, because capes were cool. 

“I can be the dad and you can be the mom,” Eiji instructed, rummaging through his closet, “and T-Rex can be the baby!” 

To his surprise, Shinji started to laugh behind him. He laughed a lot, actually, covering his mouth with his palm, his eyes squinting behind his glasses. 

Eiji wasn’t _staring_ or anything, because Mommy said it was rude to stare, but he certainly didn’t interrupt, until Shinji peeked out from under his glasses, clearing his throat a bit. 

“Our baby is a dinosaur.” 

Eiji looked around, suddenly nervous, “Yeah?” 

Shinji crouched down to where Eiji was in the closet, pulling out the dinosaur, “Then that means the police are after us—and the FBI—” he took off his cape, wrapping the dinosaur, “We’ve been running away from the bad guys because they all want our dinosaur baby…because—“

“Because it lays golden eggs!” Eiji jumped in, trying to add to the story.

Shinji nodded encouragingly, holding the dinosaur to his chest like a protective mother would, “So we had to run away. Do you have anything we can use for food, Eiji?” 

The young alpha’s eyes lit up, nodding eagerly and running over to the bottom drawer of his cabinet, “I have lots right over here!” 

Shinji followed him excitedly, eyes widening, “We have to pack up as much as we can, since we’re running away.” 

“I have a backpack!” Eiji ran to grab it, dumping out all of the papers and pencils in favor of the plastic food. They shoved the dinosaur baby in there for good measure, to keep it hidden from the police. 

Back downstairs, Oikawa looked up at the ceiling above him, washing the dishes while shooting Iwa a glance. 

“Sounds like they’re having a dance battle up there.” 

Iwa chuckled, chin in his palm as he watched Oikawa clean, “All that back and forth.” 

“You can tell which one’s Eiji because he _stomps_ like a gorilla.” 

The alpha burst into a deeper chuckle than before, sliding out of his seat and grabbing the dish rag, offering to dry the dishes. 

He’d learned that while Oikawa was incredibly particular about cleaning (not just dishes, but all things) he didn’t seem to care about how they were dried. Which Iwa found incredibly strange, but he just added it to his growing list of things he now knew about Oikawa. 

“You don’t wanna check in on them?” Iwa asked, piling the dishes up. 

Oikawa scrunched up his nose, shaking his head, “Nah. I try to not panic unless there’s screaming. I don’t ever want to be the meddling mom the way mine was. God she was so embarrassing.” 

“Really?” Iwa asked, “Your mom doesn’t really seem like that type.” 

Oikawa shrugged, “She’s not. Not really. But—I don’t know—there was this one time—”

“Uh oh,” Iwa teased, bumping Oikawa playfully with his hips, “Here comes the traumatic memory that ruined your childhood.” 

Oikawa laughed, “It wasn’t that bad,” he handed a plate off to Iwa to dry, “I just—there was this alpha I liked in high school. And a bunch of friends had come over to study since we had exams coming up. And she just kept coming into my room offering snacks or tea or whatever, trying to talk to the alpha I liked. And I _knew_ she was doing it on purpose.” 

Iwa laughed, shaking his head, “Now _that_ sounds more like your mom.” 

Oikawa snorted, rolling his eyes, “I know right?” 

Steps came pounding down the stairs, Eiji yelling at Shinji to _run!_

“Careful on the stairs!” Oikawa called, shutting off the faucet, and patting his hands on the dish rag Iwa had thrown over his shoulder. 

Eiji came running around the kitchen, decked out in a blanket cape and Lightening McQueen sunglasses, Shinji tailing behind him, without either of those things, but carrying a dinosaur wrapped up in a blanket, backpack strapped over his shoulders. 

“Mr. Iwa, save us!!!” 

He dove behind the counter, Shinji following and crouching down next to him, impossibly close, clutching the dinosaur to his chest and panting heavily. 

“Whoa ho-ho,” Iwa bent down a bit, “What’s going on over here?” 

Eiji put a finger to his mouth, yelling at Mr. Iwa to _shushhh!_

“The police are after us!” Eiji whisper-shouted, in a way that wasn’t quiet at all, “They sent their giant green pandas after us—”

“They’re purple, Eiji—”

“Yeah, yeah the purple pandas—”

“They fly around on space ships!” Shinji added excitedly, giggling with adrenaline. 

“And their spaceships look like monkeys!” 

“Painted _by_ monkeys,” Shinji corrected—

“Yeah yeah painted by _monkeys—”_

The children kept going, Iwa shooting Oikawa an incredulous look, as if to say _are you hearing this?_

Oikawa smiled, shaking his head and putting the dish rag down on the counter, making enough of a sound to capture everyone’s attention. 

“Did you boys say they were _purple_ pandas?” 

The pups looked up at him in awe, as if waiting for some giant secret to be revealed. Eiji nodded his head enthusiastically nudging Shinji on the arm, “Yeah, they were purple—Shinji saw them!”

Oikawa gasped dramatically, grabbing Shinji by the shoulders, “They didn’t touch you did they? No?” He turned to Eiji, grabbing him by the shoulders as well, “How about you? No scratches? They didn’t touch you?” 

“They didn’t touch us! I protected everyone!” Eiji said proudly, standing up tall. 

“But Eiji,” Shinji said gravely, holding out the dinosaur, “They touched the baby!” 

Eiji gave so dramatic a gasp that it almost outdid Oikawa’s, “What do we do!? Our baby’s gonna die!” 

Shinji looked around in a panic, “Mr. Oikawa, what do we do?” 

“There’s only one thing you can do,” Iwa spoke up just then, his voice rumbling like thunder. All attention turned to him, the children and Oikawa looking up at him with hopeful anxiousness. 

“You have to go to the ocean. Over in the farthest corner, there’s a cave—”

“A cave?!”

“A cave.” 

“Shinji, we saw that remember! When we were cooking the bananas!” 

“You’re right!” 

Iwa crouched down, becoming super serious, “Did you see the Octopus that’s married to the Smiling Sea Otter?” 

The children seemed enchanted, urging him to go on, and Oikawa smiled, taking a step back and letting Iwa take it from there, as the alpha explained the proper ritual they needed to complete in order to receive a wish from the Smiling Sea Otter. 

And then they were off again, on an entirely new mission to retrieve the wish from the magical Octopus. 

But they weren’t even halfway up the stairs, before Eiji called out to both Oikawa and Mr. Iwa. “You guys have to come too!! We don’t know how many people the purple pandas touched!” 

Oikawa bit his lips to keep from laughing, glancing at Iwa with a twinkle in his eyes, “You up for this?” 

Iwa shot him a look as if to challenge him, rolling up his sleeves, “I’m not afraid of Purple Pandas.” 

Eiji cheered, and the group headed up the stairs, towards the cave that held the Octopus that was married to the Smiling Sea Otter, to see if he would grant their wish to cure the dinosaur baby that’d been touched by the Purple Pandas. 

And there was absolutely nothing that was better than that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You GUYS. I did it!! It's still the weekend where I am!! Fuck finals up the ASS I still managed to update ahhhh god bless!!! 
> 
> Ok first of all, I got a bunch of new readers, thanks to all of the amazing art I got last chapter no doubt, so I just wanted to welcome all you new people to this party I call my fic and give a HUGE thank you to cool-toru, spottedwithfreckles, fejufej, and dmochii for taking the time to draw fanart for this fic. It's honestly a first for me, and I could honestly cry like idk how to thank you guys I seriously feel so honored you guys would ever bother to take the time! So THANK YOU, because I don't have the words to properly convey my mess of emotions!! And all of the comments you guys got on your art!! Like not gonna lie I stalked the tags and comments on insta and all of that and hearing some of you guys call this your favorite fic or say how much you enjoyed it like what??? My HEART!! I wish I knew what everyone's username on tumblr/insta was lol. Seriously I've been like inundated in support this week I think it's seriously what got me through my two finals! Luckily only one more paper to go so looks like things will be able to remain on a schedule ^^
> 
> So much good has been buzzing around that it's enough for me to forget the bad. All I'm going to say is that if you have a problem with the way I write my author's notes, or the way I write my story, don't fucking read my story. Iwa isn't afraid of Purple Pandas, and neither am I. If you have no idea what I'm referring to, then don't worry about it, just continue reading and enjoying, because I am going to continue writing and enjoying ^^
> 
> Also! New Sheiji headcanons have been added, all still under the #sheiji tag. I've been getting some other asks about this fic so I will be trying to stay organized and tag everything as #a place to call home just to keep things simple. 
> 
> Quick note, just because this came up, please do not send me requests via the comments section. The comments section is for comments. 
> 
> So yes, welcome to the new readers, thank you to the artists, and a very extra special thank you to my loyal reviewers, because you guys are the core foundation of everything that is this fic. Love you guys <3 
> 
> (Also wow I really like making iwaoi eat pancakes after fucking don't I? lol. Anyone here read Something Like Us, by chance?)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Guys there's more fanart!](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/168508501533/cool-toru-madamemalfoy21-said-i-should-post)

“Alright,” Oikawa finished adjusting Eiji on his lap, “Are you good—”

“Mommy I’m _fine—”_

“But your hair—”

“He’s fine, Tooru,” Bokuto said, taking a seat beside him, adjusting the angle of the computer, so the camera would be more focused on them. Once that was done, he shifted closer to Tooru, reaching over to purposely ruffle up Eiji’s hair with the biggest smirk on his face.

“Koutarou!” 

Eiji giggled, and Oikawa tried to fix his son’s hair in a mad rush, the computer already blooping, notifying them of an incoming call. 

“Auntie Auntie!!” Eiji bounced in Oikawa’s lap, making it all the harder to try and fix his hair.

Bokuto waved the mouse around, accepting the call, since Tooru was so occupied with the young alpha.

“Nee-chan!” Bokuto beamed, showing off all his teeth. 

“Kou-chan!!” Oikawa Machiko beamed back on the other side of the screen, mirroring Bokuto’s expression, “How are you! Move out of the way so I can see everyone else—Eiji!! Oh my gosh you’re so big!!” 

“I turned four!” 

“You sure did! Ahh he’s so cute! Tooru you don’t send me enough pictures!” 

“I send you some every week!” He argued.

“Auntie Auntie!” Eiji squirmed in his seat, leaning into the computer as if that might help him see better, “Where’s Uncle and Nii-chan??” 

Oikawa’s sister smiled kindly, a sympathetic kind of look on her face, “I’m so sorry, Eiji, they really wanted to be here for the call but they’d already bought their tickets for skydiving.” 

“You’re letting your son skydive??” Oikawa’s voice shot up nearly ten octaves, Bokuto drowning it all out with his screech of how _awesome_ that was, asking her why she wasn’t doing it too. 

“Well it’s indoor skydiving,” she explained, waving her hands, “A lot less risk involved.” 

“Even still,” Oikawa made a face, adjusting Eiji on his lap. 

“Oh, Tooru, you always worry so much—”

“ _One_ of us has to,” he sneered playfully at his sister, “You’re back in the states now right?”

“Mommy!” Eiji interrupted, “I wanna go sky-driving too!” 

“Sky- _diving_ , Eiiji,” he bounced the young alpha on his knee, “And absolutely not.” 

“But Mommy—”

Machiko laughed on the other side of the screen, leaning into her camera, “Don’t worry Eiji. When you’re a big boy I’ll take you indoor skydiving for your birthday, how does that sound?” 

Eiji cheered, thanking his Auntie and letting out soft, excited little noises. 

“Way to just undermine my parenting,” Tooru said with an eyeroll.

“Let the kid have some fun. He’s way more manageable than you ever were—”

“Than _I_ was,” Tooru bit back playfully, adding his own scoff for flair, “You know I’m mom’s favorite—”

“Hey hey hey! Nee-chan!” Bokuto interjected, shifting the computer so that the camera was now on him, “Why don’t you take me skydiving for _my_ birthday?”

She laughed at that, shaking her head, “If I recall correctly,” she began, “You still owe me three popsicles, two grape sodas, _four,”_ she motioned with her fingers, wriggling them, “pieces of melon bread, and an order of takoyaki that you made me spill the summer of ’07.” 

Bokuto paled, feeling a bit like he’d gotten some air knocked out of him, “I replaced that takoyaki when you came back two summer’s ago!” 

She seemed to think about that, letting out a soft hum of a sound and putting her hands to her lips, “Oh, you’re right!” 

“See? I pay things back—”

“That’s one out of like a million things Kou-chan—”

“ _Anyway—”_ Oikawa turned the screen again, so that it was now focused on himself and Eiji, “Eiji wanted to thank you for your gift and tell you all about his birthday party.” 

“Absolutely,” she clapped her hands, “Tell me all about it!” 

Eiji began going off excitedly, speaking so fast there was absolutely no way Machiko was able to understand any of it, especially with the connection being as shoddy as it was. But she smiled and nodded and gasped at all the right moments, with a sort of nostalgic look on her face. 

Tooru understood it well enough. Machiko’s son was already in high school. Which was incredibly hard to believe. It felt like they’d been tossing around volleyballs not that long ago. Amazing, how fast time flies like that. 

When Eiji was done, he finished off his story by saying that he was thirsty. Bokuto offered to get him so water, so they went into the kitchen together, leaving Tooru and his sister alone. 

“So,” she said smugly, “Tell me about Iwaizumi.” 

Oikawa shrugged to hide his smile, “I’ve already told you about him,” 

“But not face to face!” She said excitedly, “I wanna see if your eyes light up when you talk about him—”

“There’s no way you can tell that through a video call—”

“Have you consummated the relationship yet?”

“Oh my god. Who freaking asks it like that??” 

“I wanna know! Was it good? Are you happy? You seem happy—you’ve got like this glow to you—and Eiji seems to like him too! Ahh I forgot how much that boy could talk—!”

“Almost as much as you—”

She laughed, a momentary pause to her words, “But seriously, Tooru. You’re happy?” 

Tooru looked at her, before smiling and nodding his head, “Yeah,” he said, “I’m happy.”

She screamed, kicking her legs up in her chair, “Ah I knew it!! There is a twinkle in your eye!”

“Shut up no there’s not!” 

“There totally is! Ahh my little brother growing up so fast—”

“I’m only a few years younger than you—”

Machiko was still squealing, saying he’d absolutely have to introduce her to Iwa soon. Her phone beeped, and she took it, Tooru saying it was rude of her to answer while she was talking with him. 

She put the phone on speaker though, and soon Tooru realized it was her husband and son on the line. 

“Call Eiji back!” she said excitedly.

Tooru did what he was told, commenting on thefact that they could just call his own cell like normal people. 

“Shut up,” Machiko waved him away, saying it was more fun this way. 

Eiji certainly seemed to think so, shouting hello at the computer screen once he was back in the room, excited to be able to talk to his uncle and cousin. It didn’t last very long, though, because apparently they were up next for skydiving, but they’d be sure to send pictures once they were done. The conversation with Tooru’s sister flowed for about another hour, before Tooru had to cut it off. 

“But things just started to get interesting!” 

“Well we have things to _do_ Machiko—”

“We’re going to Disneyland!” Eiji added excitedly—

“That’s right!” Machiko smiled, “Your uncle got you tickets didn’t he?” 

“Yeah! And we’re going with Mr. Iwa!!” 

“Oh you’re going to have so much fun!” 

“Yeap,” Oikawa answered for the both of them, “So we’ve gotta get going—”

“Well what about Kou-chan? He can stay and talk can’t he?”

Oikawa rolled his eyes, because his sister always loved pushing his buttons for no reason, “Koutarou’s gotta meet with his boyfriend at three—”

Machiko squealed into the screen, “That’s right! You have to tell me all about him!” 

“Mr. Akaashi’s really pretty!” Eiji provided, “He’s like a princess!” 

“You don’t say…”

“Ok,” Bokuto chuckled, nervously, “That’s enough outta you, you little—”

“Kou-chan~” Machiko waved her finger in chastisement, “All about it. Promise.”

Bokuto laughed, agreeing to her terms, “I will,” he said, “Promise.” 

“Ok,” Machiko waved at the screen, blowing kisses happily, “I won’t keep you guys. Have fun and I love you!! I’ll send you the pictures when they get back!” 

“Bye bye Auntie!!” Eiji mimicked her motions, blowing air kisses towards the camera. 

Oikawa gave a wave of his own, and the two adults said their goodbyes, before Oikawa exited the screen.

Bokuto was the first to stand up after the call was over, stretching his arms up over his head. “That was nice,” he said, letting out a little groan, “Feels like it’s been a while.” 

“Right?” Oikawa said, “But she’ll be home for New Years.” 

“We can all go to the shrine like we used to,” Bokuto smiled.

“And make New Year’s wishes!” Eiji added. 

“Absolutely,” Oikawa nuzzled his son, “Lots of New Year’s wishes.” 

“Ok,” Bokuto said, leaning in to hug Eiji and Oikawa goodbye, “I gotta go. But good luck packing everything though.”

Oikawa waved him away, “We’ve got it covered here. Go, have fun.” 

“Thanks,” Bokuto said, grinning widely, “I’m pretty excited.” 

The omega laughed, “I can see that.”

“Say hello to Mr. Akaashi, Uncle Bokuto!” 

Bokuto ruffled up Eiji’s hair, assuring him that he would. 

“Will do, Little Man.” 

Both Oikawa and Eiji walked him to the door, and as soon as it was closed, Eiji jumped into a ready position, staring at his mom with such an intense gaze that for a moment Oikawa thought his son might just combust. 

He bent down, smile creeping along his lips. “Ready to pack for Disney?”

* * *

 

To Akaashi Keiji, having Bokuto open up his closet might as well have been the gates of heaven opening up before him. 

_Everything_ smelled like that intoxicatingly sweet vanilla. 

“Go ahead,” Bokuto said with a grin, nodding at the closet, “Anything you want.” 

Akaashi tried to calm the excitement rushing through his blood, lest he run in there and start grabbing things left and right. But this was a first for him. He’d never had an alpha’s scent to help him through heat before. When the men Akaashi dated had realized they couldn’t spend heats together, that was usually the end of it.Which was why Akaashi always had to make do with artificial scents. 

But those hardly compared to the real thing. 

He stepped forward, feeling somewhat invasive as he scanned the rows of shirts and pants. Hesitantly, he reached out, aiming for a simple dress shirt, the kind he usually saw Bokuto in after long nights of managing the bar. Unhooking it from the hanger, he brought it up to his nose, his scent glands swelling slightly. The omega couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Bokuto. “Thank you,” he said, making to step out of the closet, “I’ll make sure to wash it properly before giving it back—”

Bokuto blocked his way, lifting his eyebrow curiously, “That’s it?” 

Akaashi looked down at the shirt in his hands, and then back up at Bokuto again, “I…well—yes?” 

“But you need a whole nest don’t you?” Bokuto pushed passed him, rummaging through his own closet, “Plus that shirt isn’t very soft. I’ve got some tee’s—what about sweaters? Like a hoodie? I know it’s hot but it’d be softer than a dress shirt—” Bokuto pulled one out, offering it to the omega, “Although I haven’t worn it in a while, I’m not sure how much it’ll smell like me—“

Akaashi took it in his other hand, bringing it up to his nose and inhaling deeply. Shivers raced down his spine, the alpha’s scent sharpening his senses. “Thank you…Bokuto.” 

“Come on,” he pulled Akaashi next to him, “What else? I’m not letting you leave without at least ten things.” 

The omega’s eyes widened, “That many? But, you’ll need clothes—”

“Akaashi, I’ve got lots. Don’t worry.” 

“But—“

“Honestly I don’t really know much about heats. So will you teach me?” He grinned nice and big, “What kind of clothes work best?” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but blush, lowering his head slightly, “Well…it’s a bit embarrassing…—it’s probably gross—”

“Underwear?” 

The omega was truly red now, blush claiming the tips of his ears, “No—well—no, I just meant, usually—well something that’s covered in sweat…I know it’s…but the scent is really strong and takes longer to fade, so…” 

Without a single bit of hesitation, Bokuto took off the t-shirt he was wearing, before wrapping it around Akaashi’s neck, rubbing the omega’s scent glands with the fabric, “Will this work?” 

To say that Akaashi swooned would be a bit of an exaggeration, but one that was not quite so far from the truth. 

“Are you trying to kick-start my heat?” he asked softly. 

Bokuto chuckled, leaning down to give Akaashi a quick kiss. The omega took it gratefully, biting back the moan that desperately wanted to part his lips. The shirt around his neck was warm. 

“Alright!” Bokuto said, “Let’s see what else we can find.” 

Akaashi watched as Bokuto continued to dig through his closet, silently placing the clothes down so that he could slip Bokuto’s t-shirt over his head. He pulled the collar over his nose, letting out a pleasant hum that quickly turned into a purr. 

Bokuto seemed to catch that, pulling Akaashi to him and hugging him from behind, “If you do that then it won’t smell like me.” Akaashi laughed, nuzzling into the alpha and helping him move clothes around the closet, “I can’t help it.” 

They kept pulling at clothes, Bokuto adding about every single sweater he had, and even a few scarves, since they were on the fluffier side, the whole thing ending with alpha and omega sitting on the floor of Bokuto’s closet, surrounded by loose layers of clothing, Akaashi lodged happily between the alpha’s legs. 

It was almost kind of fun, sitting on the floor like this, Akaashi enjoying every bit of it, until he came across a jersey, and while he thought that maybe he should leave it be, he pulled it out anyway, holding it in his lap and looking at it almost longingly. 

Bokuto nuzzled him softly, brushing his cheek against Akaashi’s, “That brings back memories.” 

Akaashi held it up, so that the 4 that marked the center of the shirt was clearly visible, the yellow stripes claiming the tops of the sleeves, “From college?” he asked.

Bokuto shook his head, smile filled with nostalgia, “No. That one’s from high school.” 

Akaashi set it down, folding it back up, “It must be incredibly valuable to you.” 

“You don’t wanna use that one?”

“Oh,” Akaashi stammered, “No, something like this—“

“Honestly,” Bokuto pulled it back out, undoing the fold Akaashi had just done, “Back then I’m not sure you’d have liked me.” 

The omega crinkled his features, “What makes you say that?” 

Bokuto let out a long kind of exhale. “Well volleyball was everything back then. I never really had a solid relationship or anything like that. And I used to get these crazy mood swings. I depended on my team a lot.” 

Akaashi reached up, cupping the alpha’s cheek, “I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It probably would have been a nice change,” Akaashi admitted with a smile, “I think I was a bit too serious in high school.” 

He paused for a bit, clearing his throat, “More than I am now, I mean.”

Reaching around him, Bokuto grabbed the jersey, splaying it over the omega’s torso. “I think you should take it.” 

“Bokuto—”

“Technically, the captain was supposed to give their jersey to their omega at the end of the last season. But—well I didn’t really have anyone like that back then. Plus you look really good in this.” 

Akaashi smiled shyly, taking hold of the jersey and looking down at it. “Isn’t the captain supposed to have the number 1 on their jersey?” 

Bokuto nodded, “Yeah,” he said, “But the ace wears number 4.” 

Turning his head, Akaashi leaned into Bokuto, resting his head against the alpha’s shoulder and bunching up the old jersey in his hands, “I feel like there’s still so much I don’t know about you. Somehow, I’m jealous.” 

The alpha chuckled, nuzzling him, “Jealous?” 

“Mm.”

“Of who?” 

“Everyone who knew you back then.” 

Bokuto thought a moment, before standing up, so abruptly that Akaashi nearly fell over. He watched as Bokuto reached for one of the upper shelves,and pulled out a heavy-looking box. In it, Akaashi soon realized, were yearbooks. 

“So,” Bokuto said, digging through it, “How far back do you wanna go and how much time do you have?” 

Incredulous eyes stared up at the alpha, crawling closer to him, “Really?” 

“Well I don’t have work or anything,” Bokuto explained, “You could spend the night if you want.” 

Akaashi kissed his cheek, before settling himself in the alpha’s lap again, “Yes please. And from the beginning. I want to know everything.” 

They made it all the way up to the 7th grade, Bokuto telling all sorts of stories that had Akaashi snorting, tears gathering at the edge of his eyes from laughing so hard, before they got hungry. So they climbed outside of the closet, clothes and yearbooks sprawled all over the floor, Bokuto saying they could clean it all up later. 

“I didn’t realize it was already dark outside,” Akaashi said, accepting the alpha’s help to stand. It was a bit of a struggle though, his legs having gotten used to being all scrunched up. He had to shake them out to revive them. 

“Any ideas for dinner?” Bokuto asked, heading into the kitchen, “I’ve got lots of stuff in the fridge so we could make something if you want. Or we could go out.” 

“If you already have some ingredients then I wouldn’t mind cooking.” 

“Awesome!” Bokuto exclaimed, with a bit more enthusiasm than Akaashi had been anticipating, “This is gonna be our first time cooking together!” 

The omega couldn’t help but laugh again, “Yes, it will be.” 

“I bet we can make something super delicious,” Bokuto nuzzled Akaashi’s cheek, and Akaashi giggled again. “We could always make curry rice,” Akaashi suggested, “That’s pretty filling.” 

Bokuto’s eyes seemed to light up, “That’s perfect! I make a mean curry rice.”

Akaashi hummed, taunting him slightly, “So do I.” 

Bokuto bit back the instinct to growl, the small challenge somewhat arousing, “Oh? Is that so?” 

Akaashi shot him a smug kind of look, tugging on his sleeve to push the fabric up, “Let’s see what you’ve got, Alpha.”

* * *

 

They had just finished packing everything into a (believe it or not, Lightning McQueen covered) backpack, when Oikawa got a call from his work phone. 

“It’s business!” Eiji declared, knowing the ringtone by heart. 

“Mhm, exactly,” Oikawa said, bopping his son’s nose, “And what does that mean?”

“I have to be quiet so Mommy can make money so we can buy more pudding!” 

Oikawa bopped his nose again, “How are you so smart?” 

Eiji giggled, and Oikawa smiled, leaving him to “finish up” the packing, the omega stepping out of the room for a bit to take the call. 

He almost wished he hadn’t picked up in the first place. By the end of the call he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to pull his heart up from his stomach. But there was nothing he could really do about it. Work was work. 

The first thing he’d have to do would be to tell Iwa. And then, somehow or another…figure out how to tell Eiji. 

But how the hell was he supposed to tell Eiji that Disneyland was going to have to wait until after this new project was over?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's play a game. How many times can I include a scene where Akaashi puts on Bokuto's shirt before I get tired of it?
> 
> HA! Trick question I'll never get tired of it.
> 
> Guyssssss I passed Japanese and Marketing!! (And my other two courses too but those aren't as important lol) and I'm officially on break which means updates will be spasmodic as fuck so please just don't expect anything lol. I had some wine so sorry if this chapter is a bit woop but like oh well cuz the next one will be GREAT so please look forward to it ^^ In case you missed it, there's more fanart which is linked above, and more things have been added to the Sheiji tag as well. It's my birthday on Monday so if I don't see you guys before then, I hope you all have a great December 18th because it's truly one of the best days of the year. 
> 
> This fic is officially the one with the most kudos I've ever written. Idk how to phrase this without sounding fake af but seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.


	25. Chapter 25

Telling Eiji didn’t come without its fair share of tears. Nor did the tears seem to stop, escalating into various tantrums, before finally plummeting into a depressive episode that was complete with pudding and 7 back-to-back episodes of Kiko’s Kanji. 

That should have been the worst of it. It really should have, because Tooru’s project shouldn’t have taken so long, and they should have been able to reschedule within a relatively decent time frame. 

But things weren’t ever that easy. 

His company had just taken on some new interns, and the purpose of this project was to “show them the ropes” so to speak, to really immerse them into what it meant to work for a company as large as this one. 

Which again, shouldn’t have taken that long. But Oikawa hadn’t considered was the fact that Iwaizumi wouldn’t be able to take another day off until much, much later. 

Their schedules just never seemed to synch up. 

Which was why now, they were on the train to Disneyland, Oikawa was adjusting Eiji’s scarf, the heat and humidity long gone from the streets of Tokyo. 

“Eiji,” Oikawa struggled, the train rocking back and forth, “Stop undoing your scarf, you’re going to get sick—”

“But it’s hot on the train Mommy! And it itches!” Eiji scrunched up his nose, undoing his mother’s efforts. 

“We can put it in my backpack,” Iwa offered, sitting on the other side of Eiji, “When he gets cold we can just put it back on.” 

Oikawa shook his head, giving an irritated sort of sigh, “He’s just being stubborn—”

“How much longer?” Eiji asked, kicking his feet against the seats.

Oikawa placed his hand over his son’s knees, silently telling him to _stop._

“But it’s taking forever! And the train is hot! And I hate this scarf!”

“Eiji,” Oikawa sighed, nearly at the point of begging and it wasn’t even nine in the morning yet, “Don’t yell on the train, it’s rude to other people.” 

The young alpha crossed his arms, frowning and pouting out his bottom lip. “It’s not even sunny today…” he mumbled under his breath. 

Oikawa felt his heart crumple, defeat reflecting in his features. This wasn’t how he wanted Eiji’s first experience at Disneyland to be like. 

“Hey!” Iwa said suddenly, capturing both mother and sons’ attention, “What’s with that sad face? You’re going to Disneyland!” 

Eiji looked up at Iwaizumi, before looking away again, still pouting. 

“What is it?” Iwa leaned in, “You don’t like the scarf?” 

Again, Eiji looked in his direction, before silently shaking his head. 

Iwa took the ends of the scarf, undoing them from around Eiji’s neck, and then bunching it up in his own hands, “Alright then, no scarf.” 

Eiji’s eyes lit up, “Really—”

“Iwa—“ Oikawa’s tone had a bit of a bite to it, but Iwa beat him to it. “No scarf,” he said, holding a finger up right in front of Eiji’s nose, “On the train. But as soon as we get outside you gotta put it on because it’s windy and you’ll catch pneumonia like your mom said.” 

“That’s ok Mr. Iwa!” Eiji said confidently, “I’m not cold!” 

Iwa lifted an eyebrow, before crinkling his features at the young alpha, “Wait—don’t tell me you don’t know?” 

“Don’t know what?” 

“That’s strange,” Iwa was pensive, putting his fingers up to his chin, “I thought for sure you’d know.” 

“Know what!!” Eiji was tugging at the alpha’s elbow, trying to get an answer out of him. 

“They don’t let anyone who’s caught pneumonia to be a race car driver. They’re forbidden from entering a single race track.” 

The young alpha’s eyes widened in horror. “They don’t?” 

“But,” Iwa said, folding up the scarf, “Since you’re not cold I guess it doesn’t matter, right?” 

Eiji watched the motion silently, contemplating to himself. “I can…” he began slowly, taking the scarf back from Iwa and putting it in his lap, “I can put it on when we get to Disneyland.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Iwa said, ruffling up Eiji’s hair. 

Oikawa mouthed him a silent _thank you,_ upon which Iwa nodded, reaching his arm around and letting his fingers play with the loose hairs around Oikawa’s neck. 

It wasn’t much longer after that that the automated voice announced Tokyo Disneyland would be the next stop, and Eiji’s mood seemed to take a complete turn-around, excitement washing away any scarf-wearing negativity. 

“Ok, remember,” Oikawa said, before the train came to a complete stop, “Don’t let go of Mommy’s hand.” 

“I won’t!” 

“Scarf?”

“I’ll put it on outside!” 

A stern look was all Eiji needed to at least hang the fabric from his neck, not wanting to get scolded any further. 

The train finally came to a halt, and Eiji jumped up from his seat, holding out his hand, eager for his mother to take it. 

Oikawa did, Iwa following close behind while they navigated through the mess of people, wind smacking everyone in the face once they made it out of the station. 

“Alright,” Oikawa said, pointing down the pathway, “It’s a straight shot from here.” 

“Let’s go let’s go let’s go!” Eiji was jumping, tugging and pulling at Oikawa’s arm, “Mommy can we buy mouse ears? I wanna go in the castle! Can we go up to the top?” 

Iwa chuckled, watching Oikawa get dragged along the bridge-walkway. “You don’t wanna go on a ride first?”

Eiji stared up at him blankly, “But I don’t know what there is.” 

“We’ll get a map,” Oikawa assured, “And we can pick what you want to do from there.” 

“Awesome!!” Eiji jumped up again, scurrying down the path while Oikawa and Iwa tried to keep up with him. 

Luckily, they were able to bypass all of the lines for tickets, since they already had theirs, jumping straight to the theme park’s entrance. 

Eiji was about to take off again, but Oikawa insisted on a picture in front of the giant Mickey Mouse face build out of flowers. They got someone to take their photo, Iwa and Oikawa on either side of Eiji, everyone smiling wide. 

The first one of the day. 

Oikawa wanted to take another one but Eiji simply wasn’t having it, urging them along, practically bursting at the seams with excitement. 

They entered through the World Bazaar, Eiji admiring everything, the rows of shops and restaurants paving the path towards the castle that was dead ahead. 

“Oh wow,” Iwa mentioned, pointing to one of the restaurants, “They have ramen.” 

“I want ramen!” Eiji declared.

Oikawa made a face, “From a theme park though?” 

“Mm…true—”

Eiji gasped, his attention now captured by only one thing, and for a second he let go of Oikawa’s hand, but Oikawa didn’t let it happen, keeping to Eiji like a hawk. Eiji ran up to one of the shop windows, pointing to a pair of Mickey Ears that were really just Donald Duck’s feet sticking out of the headband. 

“I want those!” 

Oikawa couldn’t help but laugh when he saw them, putting a hand over his mouth to try and calm his giggles, “Oh my gosh. Iwa, look at these.” 

“Mommy can I get them?!” 

Oikawa grabbed his son’s hand, his turn to pull _him_ along, “Well let’s go try them on!” 

They scurried into the store, Oikawa unhooking them from where they hung and handing them over to Eiji so that he could put them on. 

Iwa chuckled when he saw it, pulling out his phone, “Ok that’s great.” 

“Does it look good??” Eiji bounced around anxiously, looking for a mirror. 

“Hold on, Little Man, let me take a photo,” Iwa crouched down, and Eiji hardly stood still enough for Iwa to take it. He’d found the mirror, and he was determined to see himself. 

He started laughing immediately, calling for _Mommy Mommy_ to look while he shook his head, making the duck legs dance and bounce on his head. 

Oikawa had pulled his own phone out by now, laughing all the while, “Ok, smile big, this one’s for Auntie,” 

Eiji grinned nice and wide, showing off all his teeth as he wore his Donald Duck feet. 

“Got it,” the omega said proudly, tapping on his phone.

“Mommy can we buy them??” Eiji was bouncing again, ready to move on to the next thing. 

“We’ve gotta find a register—”

He speech stopped abruptly, something squeezing his head, Oikawa feeling Iwa behind him, Eiji laughing in front of him. 

“What is—”

He spun around, but Iwa spun him back forward, making him face the mirror. “It suits you.” 

Eiji couldn’t stop laughing, and now Oikawa could see why. A giant, white, oversized Minnie Mouse bow was sitting at a perfect tilt across the side of his head. 

“Oh my goodness,” he said, delicately putting his palm over his chest, “I’m gorgeous.” 

That only got Eiji bursting into giggles again,the young alpha’s eyes crinkling up at the corners. “Mr. Iwa too!!” He encouraged, looking around to find a pair of ears that would match the alpha. 

When he came across a pair of normal Minnie Ears, with the classic red and white polkadot bow in the center, he came running back, holding it out to Mr. Iwa. 

The alpha turned them around in his hands, examining them, “Don’t you think the sorcerer hat would be cooler?” 

Eiji shook his head forcefully, “Mommy has a bow,” he explained, pointing up at his mother’s head, “So Mr. Iwa needs a bow too!” 

Iwa shot a somewhat desperate glance at Oikawa, which Oikawa returned with a shrug and a look as if to say _you’re on your own._

With a sigh of defeat, Iwa put on the ears, much to Eiji’s pleasure, and with everyone’s choices decided, they made their way to the cash register. 

“Mommy,” Eiji said, “Can I pay for mine?” 

Oikawa nodded, pulling out his wallet from the Lightening McQueen backpack, “Do you wanna pay for everyone’s?” 

Again Eiji nodded excitedly, and Oikawa told him to open his hands so that he could place the yen in his palms.

“Oh,” Iwa began, “I can cover my own—“

“It’s ok, Mr. Iwa!” Eiji said proudly, “These are on me!” 

Iwa couldn’t help but smile, sharing a short laugh with Oikawa as they made their way up to the register. 

The lady ringing them up was all smiles, asking if they’d had a magical morning so far. Eiji responded quite loudly that they most certainly had. 

“Do you want these in a bag or will you wear them out?” 

Eiji looked up at his mom, upon which Oikawa smiled and nudged him, Eiji turning his attention back to the sales lady, shyly nodding his head, “To wear out, please.” He said, speaking as formally as he could manage. 

The sales lady nodded, telling them the total while she began cutting off the price tags. Eiji took the opportunity to put the yen in the little basket, waiting patiently while she finished. 

She passed out all of their ears, taking the money and then placing the change back in the little basket for Eiji to grab. 

Eiji thanked her in utmost politeness, excitement making him rush to put his ears on. 

The saleslady wished them all a magical day, and they left the shop, fully equipped with their new merchandise. 

“Ok,” Oikawa said, pulling out the map, “Where to first?” 

“The castle!!” Eiji practically _screamed,_ jumping and making the feet on his head dance. 

“Alright,” Oikawa said, shrugging at Iwa, “I guess we better get that done first—”

The young alpha cheered, about to dash off again, had Oikawa not taken hold of his hand. “If you’re not holding onto me,” he said, “Then you at least need to be holding onto Iwa, ok?” 

Eiji nodded happily, “Yes, Mommy.” 

The line for the castle wasn’t _too_ terribly long, but it gave them enough time to look over the map, and to explain to Eiji all of the different rides, and the young alpha decided he wanted to do Haunted Mansion next. 

The walk-through of Cinderella’s Castle provided many photo-worthy moments, though, something that really only should have taken 15 minutes lasting a full 30, because Oikawa kept stopping at every display, wanting to get a picture of Eiji. The young alpha was getting rather impatient with it all, especially at the end since they all went and took a picture in front of the castle, instead of heading straight for the Haunted Mansion. But it still went by quickly enough, the sun peeking through the clouds every so often to allow for what Oikawa called “better lighting.” 

“We’re going to have to pick a place for lunch.” Oikawa said, punny tombstones lining the walls behind him as they waited in line for what promised to be a _squealing good time_. 

“And dinner,” Iwa added. 

“I want ramen!” 

“Ramen here is yucky, Eiji,” Oikawa explained. 

Eiji seemed slightly taken aback, considering that for a moment. 

“We could always eat at Ikspiari,” Iwa suggested, “They have some restaurants there I think—”

“But then we’d have to leave the park,” Oikawa argued—

“We could always come back in,” Iwa offered—

“I don’t wanna leave the park!” Eiji announced, “I wanna do the roller coaster next!” 

“Well let’s see how you handle this one first and then we’ll see about the roller coaster.” 

“I’m not scared!” Eiji informed, not just his mother, but everyone else standing with a ten-foot radius. 

Oikawa let that one go, turning his attention back to the map, letting Iwa have a look as well, “What does this say, Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall? That might work.”

“For lunch or dinner?” 

“What’s the Queen of Hearts?” Eiji asked.

“She’s from Snow White,” Iwa informed. 

Oikawa made a face, “No she’s not.”

Iwa made a face right back, “Yeah she is? The Evil Queen wants Snow White’s heart, right? Queen of Hearts.” 

“No,” Oikawa shook his head, as if Iwa were an idiot, “That’s the _Evil Queen._ Queen of Hearts is from Alice in Wonderland. You know painting the roses and the whole _off with their heads_ thing,” Oikawa waved his hand around, as if he were holding a scepter of some sort, proving his point. 

“But I’ve never seen Alice in Wonderland,” Eiji complained, completely unaware that he’d been unintentionally left out of the conversation. 

A small bit of bickering continued, Eiji insisting they watch Alice in Wonderland once they got back home, none of it resulting in a decision for lunch. When they got inside the mansion portion of the in-line wait, Eiji stood closer to Oikawa, no longer talking about how he wasn’t scared. 

He clung to his mother the entire ride, and even held Iwa’s hand while they were exiting. He didn’t comment much on it, just that he didn’t really want to ride it again, and immediately decided on Dumbo next, since it was right across the way. 

They didn’t all fit on one elephant, so Oikawa and Eiji took an orange one while Iwa sat in the green one behind them. Eiji kept looking back to make sure he was still there. 

They ended up riding Dumbo three times, all in a row, because Eiji liked being all up in the air like that, riding with Iwa the second time and getting an elephant all to himself the final time. 

Even if that didn’t sit too well with Oikawa. 

“He’s only four,” he argued, while the attendants went around checking seatbelts, “Isn’t there like a weight requirement on these things?” 

“There’s a height requirement,” Iwa said, “And he passed that—”

“But he’s only _four—”_

“Come on,” Iwa nudged him, smiling, “Look how happy he looks,” he nodded to Eiji’s elephant, where Eiji was waving to them excitedly. 

That only seemed to make Oikawa panic even more, yelling at Eiji to _face forward._

“I’m gonna go all the way up to the top!” Eiji yelled back, before turning back around, the ride finally starting. 

Oikawa kept a close watch on him the whole time, hopelessly tense while Iwa controlled the height of the ride. 

“Hey, Tooru,” 

“Wha—” Oikawa turned his head, meeting Iwa’s lips and hearing a shutter snap, his eyes widening as he realized Iwa had just taken a picture. The alpha grinned, pulling his phone back in to examining the photo. 

“That’s a good one.” 

“That was sneaky is what is was.” Oikawa managed, failing at his usual witty comebacks. 

Iwa chuckled, shaking his head, “Necessary evil.” 

Oikawa snorted, “Aren’t we a bit old for that?” 

“You might be but I’m not—”

“I’m literally younger than you.” 

Iwa smirked again, leaning in and kissing Oikawa on the cheek. “Having fun so far?” 

Oikawa gave a shy sort of smile, before glancing over at Eiji again, “I’m just glad he’s having fun. He was in such a bad mood this morning.” 

“Nothing a little Disney magic can’t fix,” Iwa said easily, the ride slowing down, signaling its end. 

“Mmm,” Oikawa smiled again, “Seems like it.” 

“Tooru?”

“Yeah?”

Iwa leaned in for another quick peck, smiling to himself at having accomplished at least that much. 

By then it was already time for lunch, where they decided on the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall, until they realized that it was nearly an hour wait. Eiji wasn’t too happy with it, but it was the closest thing around aside from ice cream shacks, so they figured they’d just deal with the wait time. 

“I guess this is why they always recommend you make reservations in advance,” Oikawa said, scrolling through his phone. 

“No kidding.” 

“Mommy I’m hungry,” Eiji said, tugging on his mother’s pants. 

“I know sweetheart,” Oikawa said kindly, brushing Eiji’s hair back, “We have some snacks, do you want some nuts?” He slipped the backpack off his shoulders, bringing it around the front, “I think there’s some dried fruit too—”

“I want _real_ food,” Eiji complained. 

“I have an onigiri,” Iwa offered, swinging his own bag around. 

“Yes!” Eiji jumped—

“No,” Oikawa held his hand up, stopping both alphas, “He won’t eat his lunch.” 

“But Mommy—”

“It won’t be so bad,” Oikawa offered, crouching down next to Eiji, “We’ve already been standing in line for a while so they’ll have our table soon!” 

“But I’m hungry _now…”_

“I know,” Oikawa sighed, standing back up and bringing Eiji close to him, rubbing his back while the young alpha sulked around his mother’s legs. 

Silently, the omega apologized to Iwa, whispering that Eiji always got really fussy when he was hungry. 

Iwa shrugged, smiling, “Most of us do.” He bent down, pulling out a folded map from his back pocket, “Hey, Eiji,” he patted the young alpha on the back, opening up the map, “What are we gonna do next? There’s still a lot to see.” 

Eiji peeked out from behind his mother’s legs, examining the map for a bit, before looking up at Iwa. “What’s this one?” he asked, pointing at a mountain on the far side of the park. 

“That one’s umm…” Iwa brought the map up closer to his eyes, deciphering the katakana, “Big Thunder Mountain.” 

“What is it?” Eiji asked, trying to take a better look of the map.

“Looks like a roller coaster,” Iwa said, holding it out for the both of them to see. 

Eiji seemed to tense slightly at that, not really wanting to say no but not wanting to say yes. 

Iwa noticed it, pointing to a different spot on the map, “Hey, how about this one? Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expedition! That sounds fun!” 

The little alpha’s eyes widened, trying to get a hold of the map, “Are there real animals??” 

“Probably not, Eiji,” Oikawa answered, bending down to fix his son’s jacket, “But it still seems like fun,” he smiled broadly, “How about we do that one after lunch?” 

“Ok!” Eiji nodded excitedly, before standing next to Iwa again, so that they could pick out more rides to do. 

Lunch went relatively smoothly, though Eiji didn’t eat very much, which Oikawa had been expecting, because he never really did, when he was excited like this. Of course, that just meant he’d be even hungrier down the line. Which is precisely why most of the contents that made up the Lightning McQueen backpack were in fact snacks. 

The food was relatively decent, at least for a theme park, and despite Oikawa’s objections Iwa paid, sliding his card to the waitress before Oikawa had even gotten a look at the receipt. 

“You paid for my ears,” Iwa said, flashing him a grin. 

Oikawa returned it with a glare, “I’m paying for dinner,” he insisted, and Iwa chuckled, but they left it at that, Oikawa convinced they’d probably have to fight over the check at dinner. 

Since they were right next to It’s A Small World, they decided to hit that up next before going on the Jungle Cruise, mostly because the wait time was only about 20 minutes. Oikawa figured that would probably be the shortest line they’d have to stand in all day. He didn’t realize that the ride would last a damn near 20 minutes as well though, that same goddamn song playing over and over and over—but Eiji seemed to like it, pointing out all of the different characters as they went on the “happiest cruise that ever set sail,” Eiji doing his best to sing along to the English lyrics though he botched them up every time. 

It was actually pretty adorable. 

What seemed to mesmerize the little alpha the most were the little dancing hula dolls, shaking their plastic hips at about a mile a minute, looking as if they were cheering for Lilo and Stitch, who were right next to them, catching a wave on their surfboard. 

When the ride was over Eiji said he wanted to watch Lilo and Stitch too, after Alice and Wonderland. 

Up next they began heading over to the Jungle Cruise, needing to cut behind the back part of the castle to get there faster. There was a bit of a crowd, though, since Cinderella and Prince Charming had appeared to take photos with the guests, and sign autographs for the kids. 

Iwa asked if they wanted to stop and take a picture, but Eiji didn’t care much for it. 

Until he saw Prince Charming, that is. 

The cast members they usually hired for characters tended to be omegas, because they were more nurturing, and better around children. The scents also helped ease the crying babies that seemed to just come with the job. 

The thing about this Prince Charming was, he was a rather soft looking man, with kind eyes and gentle features, but most importantly, he had short, and somewhat curly, black hair. 

Which apparently was enough for Eiji to want a picture with him. 

So they stood in line, Iwa and Oikawa quietly giving each other a knowing glance, Iwa not able to keep it in and chuckling to himself. Biting his lip, Iwa bent down, and draped his arm over Eiji’s shoulder. 

“Doesn’t he kind of look like Shinji?” Iwa asked. 

Eiji scrunched up his features, before turning to look at Iwa, “Who does?” 

Iwa pointed, motioning with his finger, “Prince Charming of course.” 

The young alpha shot him a look as if to say _are you crazy??_

“Shinji isn’t a Prince, Mr. Iwa.” That seemed to end it all, because they were next, and Eiji ran up right between the two characters, exchanging a small greeting before turning around and posing for a picture. 

Iwa and Oikawa both took pictures on their own phones. 

Once all that was done, and Eiji had gotten a good look of how the pictures had turned out, they finally made their way over to Adventure Land. 

And Adventure Land was selling curry popcorn. 

Naturally, Eiji wanted some. 

“We just ate,” Oikawa argued, “Let’s go on a few rides first and then we’ll see how hungry we are after that.” 

By the grace of the gods, Eiji agreed, taking Iwa’s hand and letting him guide him into the Jungle Cruise line. It was pretty fun, minus the long line. The ‘tour guide’ was full of punny jokes that Oikawa was pretty sure Eiji didn’t understand but laughed at anyway. Oikawa was hardly catching them himself, what with the way Iwa had rested his arm over his shoulder the entire boat ride. 

It was nice, feeling the alpha’s weight like that. 

Afterwards was Pirates of the Caribbean, which apparently had a drop in it—two, actually—andneither Oikawa nor Iwa had ever heard Eiji scream that loud when their boat went pummeling down. The second drop was less of a surprise, Iwa leaning in close to the young alpha, telling him to raise his hands up above his head because it was more fun that way. 

Definitely one of the better rides, Oikawa thought.

They spent a decent amount of time inside the shop they make you walk through to exit the ride, Eiji suddenly fascinated by pirates, chanting _yo-ho, yo-ho,_ with seemingly every step he took. 

Outside of the shop there were some fun _WANTED_ posters for you to stick your head through, and so Oikawa found a family to trade off with, taking their picture and then getting their picture taken in turn. 

Eiji was now fully convinced he was a pirate. 

“I need a sword!”

“No, you do _not_ need a sword,” 

“All pirates have swords, Tooru,” Iwa argued, siding with Eiji. 

“That’s completely beside the point,” Oikawa crossed his arms, “He’s got plenty of toys back home—”

“But I don’t have a _sword—_ ”

“How about,” Oikawa lifted his finger, “Instead of something useless like a sword, we get some of that popcorn?” 

Eiji’s eyes widened, and he looked over at Iwa, who nodded back at him in confirmation, upon which Eiji nodded back at his mother, “Yes! Curry popcorn please!” 

He took off before the adults, still thinking himself a pirate. He went around swashbuckling with his pretend sword, climbing on ledges and jumping off of them, Oikawa yelling at him to _be careful._

Oikawa saw it happen before it actually happened. It was just maternal instinct. The slip, the curve of his son’s foot, and the terrifying tumble Eiji took, how the young alpha dove harshly into the ground. 

In reality it probably wasn’t so serious. But logic didn’t stop Oikawa’s heart from practically beating out of his chest, his own legs dashing towards his son, Iwa right behind him. 

“Eiji! “ Oikawa cried, picking him up, "Are you ok??” 

Eiji wasn’t crying, thankfully, though there were tears in his eyes, the young alpha trembling in Tooru’s arms. Iwa suggested a nearby bench, where Tooru set Eiji down, and Iwa sat down right next to him, running a soothing hand along the young alpha’s back. Oikawa bent down in front of Eiji, moving his son’s legs back and forth, “Does it hurt? Can you move everything? Shake for me.” 

With a clenched jaw, Eiji shook his arms at his mom, showing him that nothing was broken. 

“Does it hurt?” Oikawa looked him right in the eyes, emitting a soft scent. 

Eiji nodded silently, cheeks puffing up as he pointed to his knee. Oikawa nodded, not needing anything more than that, rolling up Eiji’s pants to assess the damage. 

Oh gods.

That was a lot of blood for such a small scrape. 

“Ooh,” Iwa said, rubbing his back some more, “You took quite a blow there, Captain Eiji.” 

The young alpha said nothing, just kept staring at his mom with those tear-filled eyes. They damn near broke Oikawa’s heart. 

Swallowing his fear, Oikawa did his best not to look, smiling up at Eiji, “Oh, this is ok,” he told him, voice slightly trembling, “You’ll be ok.” 

He took off Eiji’s shoe, and then his sock, handing them over to Iwa to hold. He swung his backpack around, pulling out a water bottle and some spare tissues to clean the wound as best as he could. But he really just succeeded at pouring water over Eiji’s knee. Because when it came time to pat it dry, his hands were shaking so much he thought he’d throw up. 

But suddenly, Iwa was there, taking the tissue from him, telling him to go sit next to Eiji, because he could take it from here.

Oikawa had never been more grateful to anyone in his entire life. He sat down next to Eiji, pulling him into his chest and kissing the top of his head. While Iwa cleaned the wound, Oikawa searched the backpack for a bandage and some neosporin. 

But Eiji still looked like he was clenching his jaw, staring silently at a single spot on the ground. 

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” Iwa said gently, drying him off and making sure there was no more blood. 

Stubbornly, Eiji shook his head. 

“You’re really brave, Eiji,” Iwa noted, putting on the neosporin, and then handing it back to Oikawa. He leaned into Eiji, and brought his hand up to his mouth, as if to make the conversation private, “Are you trying to be brave for your mom?” 

Eiji looked at him for a moment, before quickly nodding his head, the tears threatening to spill out. 

Iwa gave an understanding nod, covering the wound with the bandage, and moving along to put the young alpha’s socks back on. “You know, I think your mom and I would both agree,” Iwa said, “The bravest alphas are the ones that aren’t afraid to cry.” 

Iwa didn’t even have time to link the velcro through Eiji’s shoes, before the little alpha burst into tears. 

“MOOOMMAAYYYYYYY!!!!” He buried his nose in his mothers chest, hiccuping and crying and becoming a snotty mess. 

Tooru didn’t waste a second. 

“I know sweetheart I know,” the omega picked him up, bouncing him a little in his arms and rubbing his back, “It hurt a lot didn’t it?” 

Eiji just sobbed in response, clinging to his mother’s neck and burying his face in Tooru’s shoulder. 

“It’s ok,” he said, “You’re ok, Iwa fixed you right up didn’t he? It’ll stop hurting soon, I promise.” Tooru continued to rub a soothing hand down the little alpha’s back, shooting sympathetic glances at Iwa, Iwa returning them. 

The alpha took a moment to tighten Eiji’s shoe, before ruffling up Eiji’s hair, Iwa letting out a soothing scent of his own. “Hey, you’ll be ok,” he said, “Nothing a little popcorn can’t fix, right?” 

“That’s right, popcorn!” Tooru bounced Eiji on his hip again, as if trying to get the little alpha to look up, “Doesn’t that sound good Eiji?” 

Eiji had quieted down to just a few sniffles here and there, face still wet and eyes somewhat red, but he managed to nod, still clinging to his mother. 

“You know,” Iwa said, as they made their way to the popcorn cart, “We could always get you a wooden leg. Then you’d really be a pirate.” 

Eiji let out a little giggle at that, still kind of hiding, but not so much, and even Oikawa laughed, smiling at Iwa with bright eyes. 

Iwa paid for the popcorn, since Oikawa was still holding on to Eiji, and rather than another ride, they decided to hang around and watch a cowboy show that seemed to be starting. Eiji was feeling better, but he couldn’t really see the show through the crowd, even with the way Mommy was holding him. 

So he whispered in Mommy’s ear, mouth full of popcorn, asking if Mr. Iwa could hold him instead. Mommy whispered back to him, saying that he should ask Mr. Iwa himself. So Eiji did exactly that, and he got to watch the cowboy show from the best seat in the house: Mr. Iwa’s shoulders. Not to mention he also got to happily chewing on curry flavored popcorn the whole time. 

When the show ended, Eiji deemed himself good enough to walk, so they went on a few more rides before dinner, and browsed around the shops, Oikawa taking the opportunity to buy some souvenirs. When Eiji began poking at his bandage, looking a little down, Iwa said that there was no way Eiji could walk with a broken leg like that, and that he’d need support from both himself and Oikawa. Eiji tried to argue that, but Iwa and Oikawa both took his hands just then, lifting him up into the air and swinging him around. 

“Whoa, Eiji! Did you get superpowers?? How can you jump so high?” 

Eiji was laughing, completely delighted, tugging at the grown-up’s hands and telling them to go _higher higher!_

Iwa counted to three, and Eiji was lifted into the air again, all three of them laughing from the way Eiji was completely enthralled, giving the kind of innocent laughter only a 4-year-old really could. There was nothing more Oikawa could really ask for. 

Except for shorter waits for food, of course. Oikawa made a mental note to _definitely_ make reservations ahead of time, should they ever decide to come back, because the wait for dinner almost took an entire hour. 

They hardly had enough time afterwards to grab a good spot for the Electrical Parade, but they managed, not quite in the front row but it was a decent enough spot, the castle still in view. The parade was pretty incredible to watch regardless of all of that, though. The way the lights danced, the way Eiji’s eyes lit up seeing all of the different characters, the music and the dancers, and the light of the glow sticks all shining through the parade route that every parent seemed to have bought for their child. All of this directly in front of Cinderella’s Castle, with Iwa and Oikawa pressed together in their spot, Eiji sitting right between them. 

It was sort of magical.

The parade was followed by a show of fireworks, which Eiji found a little frightening when they exploded, but awesome nonetheless. He was so pumped up about everything, recounting everything about the day as they left the park (but not without Oikawa taking another picture) Eiji excitedly saying he couldn’t wait to show Kento his new Mickey Ears, going on and on and on so much, that Oikawa couldn’t help but be surprised when he fell asleep in Iwa’s arms, waiting for the train.

“Sure was a long day,” Iwa said, chuckling to himself from the way the little alpha was drooling. 

“Oh,” Oikawa opened up his arms, “I’ll take him.” 

Iwa smiled, shaking his head, “It’s fine. He’s heavy. Besides, I like holding him.” 

The way he said it made Oikawa smile. “Ok. I can take him once we’re on the train, though.” 

They made pleasant conversation, Oikawa adjusting Eiji’s scarf again, rubbing his hands together and commenting on how cold it’s gotten now that it was nighttime. 

With his free hand, Iwa grabbed Oikawa’s, shoving their hands into his coat pocket. 

And the omega’s heart began to race. 

“Warm?” Iwa asked. 

Oikawa nodded, silently tucking some hair behind his ear, to try and hide the sudden blush to his cheeks. Maybe he could blame it on the cold. 

The train finally arrived, and everyone piled in, a few people letting them sit, since they had a child with them. 

Oikawa adjusted a sleeping Eiji on his lap, sliding his hands into Iwa’s once he was settled. 

“Oh, that’s right,” Iwa said, pulling out his phone, holding it out so Oikawa could see, “I got some pretty good ones.”

The omega leaned over, resting his head against the alpha’s shoulder while Iwa went through the pictures of the day. Most of them were caught in-the-moment, without Oikawa or Eiji even realizing that a photo was being taken. 

“When did you take these?” Oikawa propped his head up, looking at the alpha. 

Iwa smiled, “Whenever you guys looked like you were having fun—I couldn’t help it.” 

Oikawa bit back his smile, resting his head against Iwa’s shoulder again while they continued to look through pictures. The alpha even began to let out low, soothing purrs. Oikawa couldn’t think of a better way to end the day. And seeing as they had 45 minutes before they’d have to transfer lines, resting against Hajime like seemed to be the best way to spend that time. 

But as they made their way through the stops, people clambering on and off, Oikawa caught hold of a certain scent that made his entire body tense, that caused all of his senses to sharpen. No, he thought. That couldn’t be right.

Oikawa couldn’t see him. Couldn’t see him but he could _smell_ him, would’ve thought himself crazy because he hadn’t caught that scent in _years,_ but there was no denying the way his body reacted, the way his scent glands were swelling, bond mark burning with the knowledge that his _mate_ was present. 

He clung to Iwa, silently trying to convince himself that maybe he _was_ just crazy, or that it’d been too long of a day, or that maybe his body was just confusing Iwa with his old mate. But they came to another stop, just then, the train lurching awkwardly, Oikawa sitting up to make sure Eiji was still asleep, a mess of people getting off, because they were back in the city now, an entire new wave getting on, people moving in, grabbing the handle bars right in front of them, and Kaito—

_Kaito._

Oikawa shivered. 

His mark had probably been burning from the start too. 

Oikawa didn’t look away— _couldn’t—_ something holding him in place and yet shaking him to his very core, his mouth dry and hands sweaty and suddenly Iwa’s presence wasn’t as calming as it had been just a few moments ago, but he was too scared to look at Iwa right now—far too scared because Iwa had probably already guessed—

_“Tooru?”_

His mouth went dry, goosebumps prickling at his skin. For a moment, he really thought he’d start crying. 

He was right there. Five years and he was right _there._

“Is that,” Kaito licked his lips, black bangs falling over his eyes, “Is that him?” 

Oikawa tightened his grip on Eiji, completely unable to say anything. 

He didn’t have to, because Iwa stood up just then, shorter than Kaito but still somehow towering over him. 

“Move.” He _barked_ , taking hold of the handle. 

Kaito seemed confused, unable to really process the alpha’s words, “What?” 

“I said,” Iwa took the handle Kaito was smart enough to let go of, standing directly in front of Oikawa, shielding both him and Eiji from the alpha, _“Move.”_

Kaito shifted over, but kept his gaze on Oikawa. Oikawa lowered his head a bit, feeling the strange need to submit. 

“He looks like you,” Kaito’s voice cut through him, making his head shoot back up. He refused to cry. 

“Not all of him,” Oikawa said, voice calm and even, a lot more even that he ever thought he could have managed. 

Kaito smiled, but his eyes were pained. “I’m glad you’re happy,” he said, glancing over at Iwa, who was standing silent, “Did…did you—I mean, what’d you na—”

Oikawa nodded, quickly, tears brimming around his eyes, “Yeah,” he managed at a whisper, but only just, squeezing his son against his chest, “Eiji.” 

The alpha nodded, giving an incredulous kind of scoff, running a hand though his long hair. “I’m glad you’re happy,” he repeated again, “I mean, you look happy—”

“I am.” Oikawa’s resolve was back, voice gaining more strength. 

Kaito nodded, giving that same smile again, “I hope you stay that way.” 

The automated message announced the next stop, the train slowing to a halt. Kaito let go of the handle, making to get off. 

“Kaito!” Oikawa called out, not only to his own surprise, but to Kaito’s and Iwa’s as well. 

Kaito paused, standing just by the door, getting bumped into, because he was blocking the way. 

“How was the ocean?” 

Iwa didn’t get it, but the air between them changed, suddenly, Kaito’s features softening in a way that made it seem like the alpha might drop to his knees. But he didn’t. Just shrugged and gave a new kind of smile, one that looked like it held nearly five year’s worth of memories.

“Couldn’t see it,” he said, motioning with his hands, “Sun was in my eyes.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened ever so slightly, before he pursed his lips together again, nodding to stop his tears from falling. 

The small jingle came on to signal the doors closing, and Kaito slipped away, losing himself in the crowd. 

Oikawa’s scent glands swelled down, and finally, a few tears slipped from his eyes. 

“Are you ok?” Iwa whispered, not really knowing what else to say. 

Oikawa nodded, wiping his eyes and looking up, sniffling once and gathering his composure once again. “Yeah,” he smiled, “I’m fine.” 

The rest of the ride home was a relatively silent one, Oikawa waking Eiji up when they were finally close to home. 

Iwa wasn’t holding his hand anymore.

Eiji was groggy, but still as lively as ever, filling up the empty silence that hung between Oikawa and Iwa. 

They all shuffled into the house, and Iwa said he should probably get going, but he was hardly able to finish his sentence, Eiji saying that Mr. Iwa and Mommy should both tuck him in. 

Iwa looked at the young alpha, “I’m not su—”

“That’s a great idea,” Oikawa said, “Why don’t you run and go put on your pajamas? And brush those teeth.” 

“Yes, Mommy!” 

Eiji ran up the stairs, and Oikawa took the opportunity to stand closer to Iwa, taking the alpha’s hand. 

“I don’t really know why—but I feel like I should apologize—”

Iwa shook his head, “You didn’t do anything.” 

“I know,” Oikawa began slowly, “But you’re angry…I can smell it.” 

“I’m pissed as shit, Tooru.” 

The sentence alone was enough for goosebumps to shoot down Oikawa’s back, the omega practically jolting. 

“But,” Iwa sighed, rubbing his temple, “That’s my own goddamn problem, so—”

Oikawa panicked, grabbing both of his hands, “Hajime—”

“Don’t do that,” Iwa shook his head, scoffing, “Don’t do that when you’ve been calling me Iwa this whole time—”

“I want to,” Oikawa brought his hands up to Iwa’s face, “I—I want to—and I meant what I told you the first time. That man is no longer a part of my life. Mine or Eiji’s. Besides, that’s got nothing to do with us. Today was amazing. I was hoping you could spend the night—I wanted you to spend the night.”

“I know,” Iwa said, shaking his head and looking pained, “And I know you’re not—but _fuck—_ I mean you’re really—“

Oikawa’s blood raced with worry, “I’m really what?” 

“ _Bonded.”_

Fear widened Oikawa’s eyes, his hands shaking, gripping onto Iwa tighter than before, because after all this time, that was something he thought he didn’t have to worry about anymore, “No,” he shook his head, almost desperately, “No, don’t tell me that. I—you knew that I was—“

“I know—”

“You can’t—“ Oikawa shook his head, mind reeling into a panic, “You can’t leave, just because of that—”

“Oikawa—“

“You knew what you were getting into—I—I trusted you to understand that—“

“Oikawa,” Iwa’s voice was harsh, only to break through the omega’s panic, Iwa bringing him up to his chest in a grip that stole all the air from Oikawa’s lungs. 

“I’m not leaving,” he told him, “I’d never leave you. I’m just—fuck Oikawa I’m just pissed! That guy called you by name, you’ve got his bite on your neck—for fuck’s sake your scent glands _swelled_ like you’re wearing a scarf but I could _smell—_ I’m just pissed. And I don’t wanna lose my goddamn cool in front of Eiji.”

There was a small pause, Oikawa taking in a solid inhale. “Oh.” 

They weren’t allowed to talk after that, because Eiji appeared at the top of the stairs, grinning down at them and yelling that he was ready to be tucked in. 

Oikawa grabbed Iwa’s hand again, squeezing it, “Stay,” he told him, “Please.” 

Iwa followed the omega up the stairs, the two of them entering the room just as Eiji was slipping into bed, getting comfortable. 

“Mommy,” Eiji asked, “Can I wear my ears to daycare on Monday?” 

“Absolutely,” Oikawa said kindly, brushing Eiji’s hair back and kissing the top of his head, “Just make sure not to lose them.” 

“I won’t!” he tried to respond in a bubbly fashion, but he was already yawning. 

Oikawa glanced over at Iwa, and motioned towards Eiji. Iwa rubbed his hands against his pants. “I’ve never really tucked anyone in,” he admitted to Eiji. 

The young alpha yawned again, “Just do what Mommy does.” 

Iwa looked at Oikawa, and Oikawa nodded, so he went ahead and bent over Eiji, brushing his hair back and kissing his forehead. 

Eiji gave a soft giggle, letting his eyes flutter closed. 

Oikawa smiled, giving his son another kiss, before standing back up, and guiding Iwa out of the room. “We can talk downstairs,” he said. 

“I’m sorry,” Iwa said, before they’d even made it to the final step, “I’m just—”

Oikawa turned around, standing on his tiptoes since he was on a step lower than Iwa, leaning into the alpha and kissing him. “Aren’t I supposed to be the uneasy one?” He asked softly. 

With a single arm Iwa brought him back up, lifting the omega by the torso so suddenly that Oikawa yelped into his mouth when their lips met for another kiss. 

“If it were up to me,” Iwa breathed, “I would’ve claimed you the moment we met.” 

Oikawa’s eyes shined, darting around the alpha’s face as he bit his lip to keep from laughing, “That’s something a stalker might say, you know?” he whispered, and Iwa smirked, leaning in to kiss him one more time, _“I know.”_

They stayed like that for a long while, lips brushing over lips at the almost-bottom of the stairs. 

_“Stay,”_ Oikawa breathed again, though he was entirely out of breath. 

“Yeah,” Iwa nodded, pulling him in again, “I’ll stay.” 

Oikawa exhaled, relief washing over him, hugging the alpha close and inhaling as much of his scent as he possibly could. 

“Maybe…” Iwa began, somewhat hesitantly, “It’s not my place. But…” he struggled, trying to find the proper words, “When you saw him…I mean, did you—”

“No,” Oikawa shook his head. “It hurt, kind of. In a nostalgic sort of way. But I didn’t—“ he scoffed, shaking his head again, “Five years and I don’t run into him once. Today of all days…” 

“Talk about timing.” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa said blankly, seemingly lost in thought. He wrapped his arms around Iwa’s neck, looking up at him, which was a weird kind of experience, because all of this and they were still on the stairs. “Did you mean it,” he asked, “Would you really claim me?” 

Iwa bumped his forehead against the omega’s, voice low and honest, “I’d do it right now if you wanted.” 

Oikawa considered that, smiling softly and closing his eyes, “I think we have a bit more to go, before that.” 

Iwa nodded, brushing his fingers through Oikawa’s hair, “I don’t mind waiting.” 

The omega smiled, bumping his nose against the alpha’s, “You were really cool today,” he whispered. 

“Am I not cool every day?” Iwa whispered back. 

Oikawa chuckled softly at that, eyes crinkling at the corners, “Thank you. For everything with Eiji, and for literally standing up for me—” Oikawa could feel his chest swelling, unable to string any more words together. He was saved from having to, though, Iwa kissing him again, his scent just about as strong as ever, wrapping Oikawa in a particular kind of warmth the omega had recently begun to crave. 

“We should…probably get to bed,” Oikawa suggested, going up a step to finally be level with Iwa. 

“Yeah,” Iwa agreed, hooking his arm around Oikawa’s waist, and following him up the stairs, “I don’t think there’ll be any waking us up tomorrow.” 

Oikawa yawned in agreement, saying Iwa could borrow some of his pajamas, and that he was free to use the bath if he wanted. 

“Do you wanna take a shower together?” Iwa asked suddenly, in a way that wasn’t smooth in the least. 

Oikawa made a face, handing the alpha some spare pj’s, “We have to get to bed, you know.” 

“It’s not like we won’t go to bed,” Iwa said, taking the pj’s. 

Oikawa grabbed his own pair, biting his lip to hold back his smile, before grabbing a hold of Iwa’s hand, and guiding him to the bathroom, “Make sure to properly wash my back this time, yeah?”

Iwa felt his chest swell and compress all at once, wanting nothing more than to hug Oikawa. But instead, he squeezed the omega’s hand, enjoying the way their scents were currently dancing around each other.

“Yeah,” Iwa smiled softly, shutting the bathroom door behind him, “I can do that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I just got hella fucking emotional over this chapter like I legitimately started crying and that has never happened to me before. (And this is coming from the girl who wrote that part in Cigs and Soda that Cel won't ever let go) Anyway. I just. Yeah. I really really love this chapter. Also not to vague post or anything, but you know how they say there's a calm before a storm?  
> That said I don't want a million comments complaining about Kaito. If that's all you do I'm probably just not going to reply, cuz there's a lot more going on here. 
> 
> Thanks so much for all of your continued support! This story officially has over 500 subscribers and that's just beyond me.
> 
> I think this chapter is probably my favorite so far, so please leave a comment telling me what you think!! I'd really love to know <3


	26. Chapter 26

Eiji woke up suddenly and then all at once, a little groggier than usual, but that was hardly enough to stop him. Because aside from all the excitement that was Disneyland, waking up on the weekend always meant Mommy made pancakes.

And Mommy always made really good pancakes. But he couldn’t smell any yet, which meant Mommy was probably still asleep. Which was fine, it just meant he’d have to go and wake him up. And then that way, they’d be able to make them together. 

Eiji took a nice stretch, before hopping out of bed and then taking in a large inhale, because Mommy always said that a big stretch and a big breath made all the difference in the world. He took a couple more sniffs, catching the faint scent that Mr. Iwa was always giving out.

That was happening a lot, lately. Because Mr. Iwa liked scent-marking Mommy. But it had gotten a lot stronger, lately, just like how Uncle Bokuto had smelled like Mr. Akaashi a few times. Eiji wasn’t really sure what it meant, but he guessed it was mostly fine. Especially since one day Mr. Iwa would be their family. 

So long as they all loved each other first, like Mommy said. 

But he pushed that all aside for now, because the most important thing on his mind was pancakes. Him and Mommy would make them, and then they’d give some to Mr. Iwa so they could all eat breakfast together. 

With feet that were fueled with excitement, Eiji ran over to his mother’s room, jumping onto the bed and yelling to _wake up wake up_ because it was time for breakfast! 

There was low groan from beneath the sheets, a deep voice asking what time it was. 

That wasn’t Mommy. 

Slowly, and much to Eiji’s surprise, Mr. Iwa’s head popped out from under the sheets, eyes squinting at the sudden light. 

“Hey,” Iwa smiled, “Good morning little man—”

That wasn’t right. That wasn’t right at _all._ Only _Mommy_ slept in Mommy’s bed. And Eiji too, of course, if he had nightmares or was just feeling a little lonely. But Mr. Iwa wasn’t—and the whole _room_ smelled like Mr. Iwa, as if Mommy hadn’t been there at all. 

Eiji hated it. 

“Get off!” Eiji yelled, tugging at the covers, “This is Mommy’s bed!! Only Mommy can sleep on Mommy’s bed!!” 

“Whoa, hold on—”

“You can’t!” Eiji argued, starting to push at Iwa, “You can’t be here!” 

“Ok, ok,” Iwa said, sitting up, “I’m getting up!” 

Mr. Iwa wasn’t wearing a shirt. But he _was_ wearing Mommy’s pajamas. Which made no sense at _all._ Didn’t Mr. Iwa have his own pajamas? Why did he have to take Mommy’s?

“Those are Mommy’s pajama pants!!!” Eiji screamed at him, before jumping off the bed and running down the stairs, screaming desperately for his mom.

* * *

 

Downstairs, Oikawa was humming to himself, giggling and biting his lip to keep _too_ many memories of last night from flooding his head. He’d already had to restart his pancake batter twice because of it. But he couldn’t help it. Iwa was just so, _so_ good with his hands. And he had a bad habit of biting. Not that Oikawa minded. His body was probably littered with Iwa’s marks and he had absolutely no qualms about it whatsoever. Not to mention that _scent._ Even now, it was flooding the house, prickling at Oikawa’s skin and making him jittery. Sakura was right. If it weren’t for birth control, Oikawa would probably have thirty pups by now. 

It was just when he’d added the eggs to his batter that Oikawa heard all of the commotion going on upstairs. He giggled to himself again, because Eiji was always incredibly lively in the mornings, especially when he knew there were pancakes waiting for him.

“In the kitchen, sweetheart!” Oikawa called happily, but suddenly stiffened, when he caught a hold of his son’s scent. 

“MOMMY!!!” Eiji tackled his legs, tears streaming down his face. 

Oikawa went into full panic, his protective side taking over. 

“Eiji??” He bent down, wiping his son’s eyes, “What’s wrong?? Does something hurt??” 

“Mr. Iwa—Mr. Iwa—”

Iwa came into the kitchen just then, looking like he’d gotten the air knocked out of him, giving Oikawa a slight shrug and a sympathetic sort of expression. 

“Eiji,” Oikawa tried calmly, “Eiji, sweetheart what is it?” 

Eiji glanced over at Iwa, before clinging to his mom, hugging him tightly, “Go away!!” He screamed, swiping his arm at the alpha. 

Instinct flared up his senses, Oikawa holding Eiji close, “Did you say something to him?” he asked Iwa, narrowing his eyes. 

Iwa shook his head, “He just came into your room—”

“Eiji,” Oikawa began again, gently prying the little alpha away so he could look at him, “What happened?” 

Eiji pouted, eyes red and teary, turning around and stomping his feet, “I _hate_ Mr. Iwa! Mommy’s bed belongs to Mommy!!” 

With that he took off up the stairs, running up and slamming the door to his room. 

Oikawa jolted upon hearing the door slam shut, not knowing what kind of expression he was looking at Iwa with. 

Maybe this had all been too much too soon.

“Sorry,” he managed, shaking his head and pushing past him, “Um the pancakes—”

“I got it,” Iwa said, waving him off, “Go take care of him.” 

Oikawa nodded, thanking him and then chasing after his son. Climbing up the stairs at record speed, Oikawa’s heart was just about beating out of his chest. He took a moment to inhale, before knocking gently at the Eiji’s door and then opening it. Eiji was wrapped tight in his bedsheets, the blanket over his head making him look like a mushroom. Silently, Oikawa closed the door behind him, and then sat down in front of Eiji, bumping his forehead against the little alpha’s. 

“Hey.” 

Eiji said nothing, pouting with eyes as red as ever. 

“I thought you wanted Mr. Iwa to sleep over? We talked about it, didn’t we?” 

Eiji murmured something behind the blanket that Oikawa didn’t quite catch. 

“Hmm?”

“Guests sleep on the couch!” Eiji yelled, momentarily popping his head out of the blankets but then sticking it back in, sniffling to himself.

Oikawa smiled weakly, finally understanding, “They do sleep on the couch, don’t they?” 

Eiji nodded, glad his mother had agreed with him. 

Oikawa scooched in closer, wrapping his arms around his son, “But, didn’t we also say we wanted Iwa to be part of our family one day?” 

“But Uncle Bokuto is family.” Eiji said, as if making a point. 

“Yes?” Oikawa asked, “They can both be family, can’t they?” 

“But Uncle Bokuto doesn’t sleep in Mommy’s bed! Mommy’s bed is for Mommy and for nightmares.” 

“I see,” Oikawa nodded, rubbing his hand against Eiji’s back, “That is very true.” 

Eiji nodded eagerly, once again very happy that his mother agreed. But suddenly he stopped, as if he had realized something. With large, guilty eyes, Eiji looked up, hesitantly popping his head out of the blankets, “M-Mommy?” 

“Yes, Eiji?” 

“Did Mr. Iwa have a nightmare?” 

A smile spread across Oikawa’s lips, Oikawa unable to help the gentle scoff as he squeezed his cheek against his son’s, “No,” he said, “He didn’t.” 

Eiji looked up, “Then why was he sleeping in your room?” 

Oikawa sighed, not knowing how in the hell he was supposed to explain this simply enough. “Well,” he began, clearing his throat, “You know Mr. Iwa has a crush on Mommy.” 

Eiji nodded, as if that was common knowledge. 

“And Mommy likes Mr. Iwa too.” 

Again, the little alpha nodded, comprehending everything so far. 

“And when two people like each other, Eiji, they wanna be around each other all the time.” 

“But—” he began, but then quickly closed his mouth. 

“What is it Eiji?” Oikawa nudged him gently, and Eiji began to cry again, rubbing his eyes and blubbering into his hands. 

Oikawa nuzzled him, patting his son’s head. 

“I don’t like it.” 

“You don’t like Mr. Iwa sleeping with Mommy?” Oikawa asked.

Eiji shook his head, sniffling. “And…Mommy…Mommy doesn’t smell like Mommy anymore.”

That only made Oikawa’s chest clench, one of his largest fears coming into realization. There was nothing he could really do about his scent. If he and Iwa were… _intimate,_ then that sort of thing…

But, if one day, they did decide to go ahead and bond, then Oikawa’s scent would most certainly change. He and Iwa would simply be intertwined at that point. How in the world was he supposed to explain all of that to Eiji though? 

“I see,” he began slowly, swallowing thickly, grabbing his son’s cheeks and brushing away the tears, “Mr. Iwa has a really strong scent, doesn’t he?” 

Silently, Eiji nodded. 

He licked his lips, trying to figure out what to say, “Eiji,” he took a deep breath, “What does grandma smell like?” 

Eiji blinked, sniffling though he responded almost automatically, “Like matcha.” 

Oikawa smiled, nodding, “And what does grandpa smell like?” 

The young alpha widened his eyes, “Like the couch!” 

Oikawa laughed at that, eyes crinkling at the edges because his father did in fact smell like old leather. “That’s right. But they also kind of smell like each other, don’t they?” 

Eiji considered that for a moment, before slowly nodding his head. 

“Even still, you can tell who is who, right?” 

Again, Eiji nodded, though it was somewhat resigned, the little alpha tugging the covers tighter around his small frame. 

“So Mommy will always smell like Mr. Iwa?” 

Again, Oikawa’s chest clenched.

“No matter how mommy smells,” he said, “There’s never gonna be anything I love more than you. And,” Oikawa leaned in, letting out a soothing purr, starting to scent mark his son, “Nothing is ever gonna change this.” 

Eiji began to hum in response, happy little titters buzzing in his throat. “It smells like Mommy,” he said, nuzzling into Oikawa’s chest, in a voice so relieved that it hurt Oikawa’s heart. He ran a handthrough Eiji’s hair, which always managed to calm the both of them down. Once Eiji was purring back, Oikawa felt a bit more at ease. 

He pulled away, but only just, kissing the top of his son’s head. 

“Now Eiji,” he said, making sure the little alpha was meeting his gaze, “This is super important, so I want you to be as honest as you can be, ok?” 

Eiji nodded, eyes widening with curiosity. 

“Did Mr. Iwa do or say anything that hurt your feelings? Even a little bit?” 

Eiji shifted, tugging at his fingers a little anxiously, the way Oikawa had a habit of doing. “No…” he said slowly, shaking his head, “Mr. Iwa is always really nice.” 

“Ok,” Oikawa nodded, smiling, “That’s good. If he’s ever not nice, I need you to tell me, ok?” 

Eiji nodded, “Ok Mommy.” 

“Pinky promise?” he asked, holding out his finger. 

“Pinky promise!” Eiji took it, linking their fingers together. Oikawa brought him back in, hugging him tight and cradling his head, kissing his cheek, “You are the most important thing to me. You know that, don’t you?” 

“I know Mommy!” 

He snuggled him some more, until Eiji said he couldn’t breathe, and so reluctantly, Oikawa let him go. 

“Do you wanna go downstairs now?” He asked gently. 

Eiji tugged at the sheets, “Is Mr. Iwa still here?” 

“Mm,” Oikawa answered, “He is.” 

Eiji kept tugging at the sheets, shifting a bit in his spot,“Do I have to apologize to Mr. Iwa?”

Oikawa smiled, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. But, hate is a really strong word, Eiji. Don’t you think it probably hurt his feelings a bit?”

Solemnly, the little alpha nodded. 

“Or,” Oikawa suggested, “I could ask him to come up? Would you like that better?” 

Again Eiji nodded, throwing the covers over his head as if he were preparing for something. Oikawa leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Ok,” he said, “I’ll go grab him.” 

Oikawa got up, leaving the room and heading down the stairs, somewhat surprised when the smell of fresh pancakes hit his nose. Iwa was in the kitchen, back to Oikawa since he was flipping over a pancake, still completely shirtless. The omega cleared his throat, reaching over and squeezing the alpha’s shoulder. 

Iwa looked at him, giving a warm smile, “How is he?” 

Oikawa returned the look with a more sympathetic kind of expression, “He didn’t like that I smelled like you. And that you were in my bed.” 

“Oh,” Iwa blinked, “I thought you told him beforehand—”

Shaking his head, Oikawa leaned into him, “It was completely my fault. I did tell him you’d be staying over. But it just completely—it’s not common sense for a kid. I mean to him the closest thing to a male figure is Bokuto. And obviously when Bokuto sleeps over he always takes the couch—I just should have explained it properly, to him—”

A strong arm was wrapped around his shoulder, Iwa rubbing Oikawa’s arm encouragingly up and down while pressing his lips against the omega’s head. “It’s ok. What’s important is everyone’s on the same page now, right? Besides,” Iwa grinned, “Kid’s an alpha. We’re kinda territorial by nature.” 

Letting out a long sigh with a soft smile on his lips, Oikawa nodded. “You’re right about that I guess,” he said, rubbing his arms, “He wants you to come up,” Oikawa motioned at Iwa’s chest, “But you need a shirt first.” 

Iwa nodded, before turning off the stove and grabbing some pancakes he’d already plated. “We might as well bring him breakfast while we’re at it.” 

Oikawa agreed that that would be a good idea, so he finished them off with some syrup while Iwa ran to throw on a t-shirt. Once that was settled and done, they both stepped into Eiji’s room, with Iwa being the one to hold the plate of pancakes. 

Eiji was still hiding in his blanket fort. 

“Hey,” Iwa smiled gently, offering the plate, “You hungry? They probably don’t taste as good as your mom’s but I did my best.” 

With cautious eyes and small hands, Eiji took the plate from the alpha, not really looking at him. “Mommy says that if you try your best then that’s all that’s important.” 

“Looks like your mom’s teaching you all the right things,” Iwa said with a smile that was directed more towards Tooru. 

Silently, Eiji gave a quick nod, before taking a bite of the pancakes. They seemed to be to his liking, because then he took another bite, and another. 

While he was chewing, Iwa figured it’d be the best time to talk. 

“Sorry if I scared you this morning,” Iwa said, “I didn’t mean to freak you out.” 

Mouth still half-full and chewing, Eiji looked from Iwa to his mother. He swallowed, before deciding to speak up. 

“Is Mr. Iwa always gonna sleep with Mommy?” 

Iwa stayed quiet, since that question was more directed towards Oikawa anyway. 

“When Mr. Iwa stays over he’ll sleep in my room, Eiji.” Oikawa replied calmly, with a warm smile on his face that reminded Iwa of his own mother. 

Eiji moved his fork around, aimlessly spreading syrup around his plate, “Even though he doesn’t have nightmares?” He mumbled. 

“Yes,” Oikawa said simply. 

“Then,” Eiji looked up suddenly, eyes gleaming, “Can I sleep in Mommy’s bed too?” 

That seemed to sharpen Iwaizumi’s senses, feeling strangely territorial in a way that was completely unfamiliar to him. Of course, kids were always crawling into their parent’s beds. And of course, seeing how Iwa and Oikawa’s relationship was progressing, there was no doubt that one day soon they’d all end up sleeping together—be it nightmares or cuddles or just plain wanting to. But if Eiji was going to crawl into bed with them every time Iwa slept over, the alpha wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to last. 

“I’ll tell you what,” Oikawa said, “The day before Iwa sleeps over you and I can sleep in my room. But when Iwa comes over you have to sleep in your own bed.”

“Ok!” 

Eiji seemed happy enough with that, and Iwa found himself breathing a soft sigh of relief, silently blessing Oikawa for coming up with such a tangible solution.But suddenly Eiji was shifting anxiously again, looking up at his mom with hopeful eyes. 

“Mommy? What if I get a nightmare when Mr. Iwa is sleeping over?” 

Oikawa opened his mouth to speak, but Iwa beat him to it, “Well isn’t that the best case scenario?” 

Both Oikawa and Eiji made the same face of confusion, meeting him with a unanimous, _“What?”_

Iwa brought his hands up, waving them and trying to explain, “If you _do_ get a nightmare,” Iwa said, looking at Eiji, “Hopefully you don’t, but if you _do,_ wouldn’t it be better if I’m here too, since two adults are better than one? Plus that way you can sleep in the middle, and nothing can get you from either side!” He stopped abruptly, realizing he was actually talking kind of fast, “At least,” he cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head, “That’s what my parents did, when I was a kid.”

Eiji’s eyes widened, completely enchanted, “Mr. Iwa used to get nightmares too??” 

“Well sure,” he said, leaning in a bit, “Everyone gets nightmares.” 

Eiji’s mouth dropped open into a little _“o”_ shape, which he took advantage of by shoving more pancake into his mouth. “Mr. Iwa!” Eiji said, mouth still full, “If you have nightmares you can sleep with me!” 

Both Iwa and Oikawa chuckled at that, Oikawa leaning over and kissing the top of Eiji’s head. “Ok then. I think that settles that.” 

It was right at that moment, that Iwa’s stomach gave a roar of a growl, which three of them bursting into laughter about. Oikawa suggested they go grab their breakfast and bring it back up to Eiji’s room, so that they could all eat together. Eiji seemed to love that idea, holding out his plate and asking for seconds. So Iwa and Oikawa made their way downstairs, grabbing some more plates and piling on the pancakes.

“Thank you,” Oikawa said after a moment, taking the syrup out of the fridge, “You handled that really smoothly.” 

“I think you’re the one who took the brunt of it,” Iwa said, stealing the syrup from Oikawa. 

“Still,” Oikawa motioned with his hands, tugging at his bottom lip with his teeth, “To have this happen—and then the whole thing last night with K—”

“Hey,” Iwa pulled him in, arm secure around Oikawa’s waist while he nipped at the omega’s ear, “The most memorable thing about last night, we’re not allowed to talk about in broad daylight—”

“I-Iwa—!” Face going red, Oikawa stumbled over his words. 

The alpha chuckled, “What happened to _Hajime?”_

“I take it back,” Oikawa crossed his arms stubbornly, before taking the syrup back, and pouring it over his own pancakes, “You clearly don’t have the self control for that—” 

“I think _you’re_ the one without self control—”

“I have plenty—”

“Syrup—”

“What?” 

Iwa stopped the bottle, tilting it up, Oikawa not realizing he’d nearly drowned his pancakes in it.

“Syrup,” Iwa repeated.

“Shit.” 

“Shh,” Iwa put a finger to his lips, “Eiji’s upstairs,” he switched their plates, letting Oikawa have his pancakes, “I’ll take these. I prefer sugar anyway.”

Oikawa took it, but rolled his eyes as he began heading towards the stairs. “You’re gonna get cavities,” he told Iwa.

_“You’re gonna get cavities,”_ Iwa mimicked, voice purposely nasally and irritatingly high pitched as he chuckled to himself, taking a large bite of the pancakes as he followed Oikawa up the stairs. 

With one single, seamless motion, Oikawa kicked his leg up, successfully tapping Iwa’s butt with his foot. 

“Ow, jeez,” Iwa fake fumbled, holding onto his plate like his life depended on it, “Watch it, you’re gonna make me spill syrup all over my boyfriend’s floor.” 

Oikawa clicked his tongue, “Your boyfriend would definitely be pissed if that were to happen.” 

“He would be,” Iwa straightened, grinning mischievously, “He’s kind of a clean freak—”

“I am not!” Oikawa defended, “I just like when things are in order—“

“Tooru,” Iwa stopped him, the two of them now at the top of the stairs, “You won’t let anyone but you wash your dishes.” 

The omega gave a weak kind of shrug, “I just like it done—”

Iwa kissed him, stopping his speech, mouth sweet and sticky with syrup, “A certain way,” Iwa finished for him, smiling, “I know.” 

Oikawa bit his cheeks to keep from smiling, which resulted in a smirking kind of expression, “You’re very sneaky, you know that, Iwaizumi Hajime?” 

The alpha chuckled, pushing the door open to Eiji’s room, and motioning for Oikawa to walk in first, “Yeah,” he said, “So I’ve been told.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!! 
> 
> See? It was just a smol storm. You guys get so anxious lol. So just a few quick things, the first chapter of the Sheiji story has been posted in case you missed it! If that interests you please go check it out ^^ 
> 
> Also um...yeah. I'm tired lol. School will be starting up again soon so we'll see how that treats me. I hope you all have a lovely holiday. 
> 
> Thank you all so much as always for all of your awesome support! Comments are very much appreciated ^o^


	27. Chapter 27

Christmas came and went in a flurry of excited screams and strange sounds made by electronic toys that Oikawa couldn’t shut the fuck up other than ripping the batteries out of the damn things. Which, he couldn’t exactly do, because Eiji kept requesting a new toy every few seconds. And taking out and putting batteries back in was almost more tedious than the noise the toys made. Regardless, the day continued in that same commotion of sounds, only to be wrapped up with a large-ish celebration that centered around Kentucky Fried Chicken. 

Which was then followed by a strange string of days full of sleeping in and Eiji getting tired of most of his new toys by the middle of the second day. 

And then, suddenly, it was New Years. 

It was always the biggest celebration of the year. Oikawa greatly enjoyed the holiday, especially now, since it was one of the few times a year his whole family was back together in one place. 

And it was usually just a wonderful thing. But this year Eiji was older. Which meant he had more capacity to complain about things that didn’t really matter. And after spending the night at his parent’s house, with his heat due in a matter of days, Oikawa was ready to jump ship.

But that sort of thing was impossible, because there was just too much to do. On top of all the usual traditions, everyone would be meeting later for dinner, which meant Oikawa just had to suck it up. 

So functioning on about three hours of sleep (because Eiji had _refused_ to sleep) Oikawa made it through the shrine visit, the mountain of food they’d gotten for lunch, picking his sister and her family up at the airport, the _oos and aahhs_ of how big everyone had gotten, and a slight wardrobe malfunction that had to do with Eiji’s top jean button. 

Nothing he couldn’t handle on any other day. But today _wasn’t_ a normal day. Because today was _New Years_ , and his goddamn fucking _heat_ was about four days away. 

It was a miracle they made it back to his parent’s house in the first place. But it happened, somehow, everyone gathered together, Bokuto, Akaashi, and Iwa included. As far as Oikawa was concerned, the worst of things were now over. Minus the dirty dishes. The amount that had piled up was stressing him the fuck out, which was why he was holed up in the kitchen, scrubbing away to try and make room on the countertop. Cleaning had always sort of helpedwith his pre-heat anxiety. 

Eiji would run in every few seconds, stealing more food from the boxes they’d brought in, coming in for third, fourth and fifth helpings. 

Oikawa didn’t know where Eiji was storing it all, but he supposed that was an attribute of a growing alpha. 

“Mommmyyyy!!!” 

With a deep inhale and a quick chug of the sake he’d kept by the faucet, Oikawa shut the water off, patting his hands on his pants, “What is it Eiji?” 

The little alpha came running into the kitchen, puffing his cheeks, “Uncle Bokuto stole my mochi!!”

“Whatever he says he’s lying!!” Bokuto came running in after him, words half-slurred from the food he was hoarding in his cheek. 

“He _stole_ it—” Eiji accused, pointing at his uncle, waving his finger around, “Give it back—”

Bokuto chuckled, finally swallowing down the sweets, “Can’t,” he said, rubbing his belly, “It’s already in here—”

Eiji gave such a loud _screech_ that Oikawa damn near covered his ears, tugging his son harshly by the arm and saying that there was no place for that inside the house. “I’m sure if you ask grandma she’ll give you another one.” 

Young eyes seemed to brighten at that, Eiji running past his mom and shooting his uncle a glare, Bokuto sticking out his tongue and Eiji returning it by blowing a raspberry in his direction. 

Bokuto snickered, until Oikawa smacked him in the stomach. 

“Ouf—jeez, I’m digesting—”

“Can you _not_ antagonize him? He’s had so much sugar I’m literally about to kill myself—”

“I’m just having fun with him. Besides he didn’t need another one. He’ll get fat.” 

“ _You’re_ the one who needs to be worrying about that. Eating all of those pastries Akaashi makes—”

“Trust me Tooru,” Bokuto slung his arm around Oikawa’s shoulder, “I’m eating a lot more than just his _pastries—“_

“Oh my god—” Oikawa pushed him away, returning his attention to the dishes, “I so do _not_ wanna hear about that right now—”

Bokuto gave a stupid sort of laugh, his voice dropping to a whisper, though it was euphoric just the same, and for a moment Oikawa thought he could see real tears in the alpha’s eyes. “New year’s sex is so fucking good,” Bokuto said, holding a fist up in small victory. 

“Oh for the love of—Akaashi!” Oikawa called, nice and loud, “Come collect your boyfriend please!” 

Akaashi joined them in the kitchen in a matter of moments, leaving behind the laughter that was going on in the living room. “What happened?” 

“We’re cutting him off. No more sake for him.” 

“You’re not my mom, Tooru.” 

Akaashi giggled, reaching up to cup Bokuto’s cheeks and rub his thumbs against them tenderly, “You do seem a little tipsy, Bokuto.” 

“I’m fine!” He insisted, suddenly incredibly happy, and Oikawa thought that if the man had a tail it would most certainly be wagging. 

“Why don’t we sit on the couch for a bit? I’ll bring you some water.” 

Bokuto leaned in, nuzzling Akaashi with a giant smile on his face, “Water sounds great Akaashi!” 

Oikawa nearly snorted to himself. Whenever Akaashi was involved, Koutarou became nothing more than a puppy eager to please. Sort of adorable, but, more importantly, it was incredibly convenient. 

Since Bokuto was now taken care of, and the amount of dirty dishes was now something Oikawa could walk past without his anxiety shooting into tomorrow, he could finally grab the beer he told Iwa he’d fetch. Which was actually why he’d come into the kitchen in the first place. With a bottle in hand, he made his way back into the living room, finding his sister on her husband’s lap, leaning towards Iwa and pointing at a photo album that was resting over the alpha’s knees. 

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t just the dirty dishes that had the ability to shoot his anxiety into the next year. 

“And this was in middle school! Wasn’t he the cutest in his _gakuran?_ ” 

“Machiko!” Tooru came rushing in, trying to throw his hand over the pictures, “What are you doing?” 

“You were tall since back then, huh?” Iwa smiled up at him, taking the beer from his hand. 

“No one could believe it considering how small he was all through elementary!” Machiko perked up, waving her hands and bringing them to her hips to signal his height, “He was like _this_ tall. We thought he’d be short for forever. And next thing you know he’s taller than me—”

“Taller than everyone—” Bokuto added—

“Well _excuse_ me for something I can’t help at all—” Oikawa began with a roll of his eyes, but then Eiji came running up to him, throwing his arms around his legs, mouth half full with some sweet or another, “I wanna be tall like Mommy!” 

“Eiji!” Oikawa reached for a napkin, “Don’t talk with your mouth full of food!” He wiped at his son’s face, and then at his own pants, because some of the grease had gotten on there too. 

Today just really needed to end. 

He sat himself down on the couch next to Iwa, but the alpha kept the album out of his reach, saying he wanted to look at it some more. 

“There’s some really great shots in there,” Machiko said, “Mom was always pretty good about keeping that stuff in order.” 

“It’s your father who took the pictures, though.” Fumi corrected, coming out with another stack of photo albums. 

Oikawa’s stomach sunk in dread. 

“I wanna see when Mommy was a baby!” Eiji said excitedly, running up to his grandmother. 

“That’s boring! Go to the ones I’m in!” Bokuto hooted, pulling Akaashi closer to him, so that the omega was sitting on his lap, both armchairs now claimed by a pair of lovebirds. 

“Oh those ones are great!” Machiko agreed, clapping her hands together, “Bokuto looked so handsome in his little sports uniforms!” 

“You’re gonna make me blush—”

“Forget those! Where are my photo albums?” Takeru complained, laughing while he accused his mother of negligence.

“You know I don’t have the time for that sort of thing—”

“Everything’s digital now, Takeru,” his father explained, “I’m sure they’re on a flash drive somewhere…” 

“Ah,” Machiko brought her fingers to her lips, “Except for those two years—I lost my phone remember and the data wasn’t backed up—”

“Right! That was in Peru wasn’t it? Or Argentina? Didn’t it slip into a waterfall?”

“Wow I can tell I’m your precious first-born.” 

“You’re our only-born Takeru and we love you very much—”

All the back and forth was making Oikawa dizzy, and the photo albums weren’t something he really wanted to deal with. So with a soft little groan, Oikawa stood up, and headed back into the kitchen. He needed to just take a breath and clean dishes. 

So that’s exactly what he did. 

He hated this feeling. Had always hated it. The mood swings, the anxiety, the constant need to rub his thighs together like some sort of virgin _brat._ The way his scent glands swelled and throbbed, making him feel like he was sick when he really wasn’t. All of it, every part of it was god fucking awful. 

But that was what came with being an omega. 

At the very least, he only had to deal with it twice a year. And, at least, his heat hadn’t fallen on actual New Years. That would have been completely awful. He still had four days left. 

Just four days of these god awful pre-heat symptoms. He’d be fine. 

Everything would be fine. 

Just.

Fine.

_Gods_ all he wanted was for Iwa to shove him in a closet and fuck him into tomorrow. Just being around the alpha was enough to make him jump out of this skin, make his heart race, make him irritated. _Everything_ was making him irritated, in all honesty. Namely these conflicting emotions that had no business being here in the first place. 

Which was why he needed to just focus on dishes. 

His sister came in, with such a smug kind of smirk on her face that it made him want to just slap it right off of her. Inwardly, he groaned. They weren’t kids anymore, and that was too extreme a reaction. Maybe he should just head to bed early. 

“You know,” she said, popping a candy in her mouth, “I used to get so jealous that I wasn’t an omega like you. But I am now forever grateful I don’t have to deal with all of,” she motioned to all of him, “ _That.”_

“Machiko I swear to god—”

“Calm _down_ Tooru I didn’t come in here to further push your buttons. I was gonna ask if you wanted me to take Eiji for a bit?” 

“No,” he turned on the faucet, and then turned it off again, “Yes. No? God I’m just—so tired? Like exhausted? I’m physically exhausted.” He motioned with his hands, as if he were dragging something from his chest down.

“Why don’t you leave the dishes alone?” She said gently, leaning against the counter, “Mom can handle that later.” 

Oikawa shook his head, blinking hard to stop the tears that had suddenly gathered around his eyes. “Goddamnit,” he whispered, turning on the faucet and splashing his face with water, mumbling to himself while he cried quietly into his hands. 

_Fuck, why was he crying?_

“Maybe a nap?” Machiko offered, “Take a painkiller and just go straight to bed—”

“Is everything ok?” Iwa walked in, voice a low rumble, scent stretching out towards Oikawa, in an attempt to be calming. 

Quickly, the omega wiped his face, “Everything’s _fine,”_ he snapped harshly, “I’m just washing dishes.” 

“Want some help?” Iwa came closer, that scent starting to make Oikawa jittery in a very bad kind of way. 

He shot the alpha a glare, unable to really help how pissed off he felt, especially from the way Machiko slipped out of the room, leaving them alone. 

“Anything I can do?” Iwa said softly, rubbing a strong hand along Tooru’s back. 

Shivers raced down the omega’s spine, Oikawa straightening as a choked whimper pushed past his teeth. He could _feel_ the way Iwa tensed beside him. 

There _wasn’t_ anything the alpha could do. Not really. And Tooru didn’t mean about the dishes either. Because what his swelling scent glands were looking for right now…it wasn’t Iwa. 

And that hurt more than his churning stomach.

“It’s, just—“ he cleared his throat, trying to make the haze in his head go away, “It’s due, soon.” 

Iwa nodded, stroking Oikawa’s back again, “Yeah. I can tell.” 

Oikawa scoffed, “Of course you can.” 

“I can take the time off of work,” Iwa suggested, “We could—”

“No,” Oikawa shook his head, resting his hands on the counter and taking in a large inhale, “I definitely don’t want that yet.” 

Iwa looked at him with soft eyes, “Won’t it hurt?” 

With a quick glance, Oikawa’s eyes darted in his direction, before focusing on the sink again, “It’ll hurt like a bitch,” he scoffed at himself, “But if we spend it together we’ll definitely bond. And that’s…we talked about that already.” 

Iwa ignored the sting in his chest, choosing to lean in and nuzzle against Tooru’s scent glands instead. “Then let me take care of you right now. I hate the scent you’re giving off.”

Oikawa hugged himself, tapping his foot anxiously, “Everyone—everyone’s out there. And Eiji—”

“Eiji’s got about ten other people out there that can look after him right now. Let someone take care of you for once.” The alpha reached up, brushing his thumb against the omega’s cheek. 

Another shiver overtook him, and so Oikawa agreed, bowing his head in silent submission. 

They didn’t make it through the living room, though, without Eiji asking where they were headed off to. Iwa crouched down, so that he could answer while looking the little alpha eye to eye. 

“Your Mommy’s feeling a little sleepy,” he said, “So I’m gonna take him upstairs to rest.” 

“How come you need to go too, Mr. Iwa?” 

The alpha gave a smile, “In case your mom gets nightmares, of course.” 

Eiji’s jaw dropped open, letting out a short little gasp, “I can take care of Mommy! I’ll make sure there’s no monsters!” He ran up to his mother’s side, clinging onto Tooru’s leg. 

“Ah, um—Eiji—” Oikawa cleared his throat, trying to pry his son from his leg. 

“Eijiiiiii!” Machiko whined, sparing everyone the trouble, “You said you’d play with Auntie! Don’t tell me you’re gonna break your promise!” 

Conflict washing over the young alpha’s face, Eiji looked up at his mom, completely unsure of what to do. 

“It’s ok,” Tooru brushed Eiji’s hair back, “You don’t want to break your promise, do you?” 

“But—”

“And you said you’d show me what you got for Christmas! I still haven’t seen it!” Takeru insisted, nudging his cousin on the shoulder. 

Oikawa gave a soft smile, telling his son he’d be ok, and that Mommy was just sleepy because he was old. 

That seemed to be all the incentive Eiji needed, because he told his mom to _sleep tight!_ before rushing over to where his aunt was. 

With a silent exhale, Oikawa thanked any and all gods under his breath. 

He led Iwa up the stairs, the alpha squeezing his hand with each step, Oikawa feeling his pulse spike with each squeeze. There was something about stepping into his oldroom that made his heart beat erratically. Maybe it was the beginnings of his heat licking at his toes; maybe it was the way Iwa hadn’t let go of his hand. Making their way down the short hall, Oikawa opened the door to the room he’d grown up in, everything in there the exact same way he’d left it. For a moment, it felt somewhat surreal, as if he were taking a step into the past. All of his old books, the music he hadn’t brought with him to college, the volleyball posters Bokuto had helped him put up—all of it was still there. It was especially nostalgic looking at it like this, with nothing but the light leaking in from the hallway, the way it had when Oikawa had first moved out. 

But that was dumb to think about. Because it’s not like this was the first time he’d ever come back to his room. Whenever he slept over at his parent’s house this was where he stayed. Maybe it was just the fact that Iwa was there with him, that he suddenly became conscious of it all. 

He wasn’t allowed to dwell on it much though, because the room became incredibly dark, just then, Iwa having shut the door behind them, robbing the room of any and all light. Simultaneously, though, the room also filled with the alpha’s scent, Oikawa’s skin prickling and scattering with goosebumps, glands swelling even further so as to take it all in. 

He _hated_ it. 

He hated it because more than anything, more than _anything,_ he just wanted to cry.

Iwa nuzzled him, either sensing it or not, Oikawa didn’t know, but the alpha lulled him gently, guiding them to sit at the edge of the omega’s bed so they could be a little more comfortable. He showered Oikawa with sweet caresses while Oikawa kept his nose to the alpha’s scent glands, trying to calm himself down. At the very least, Iwa’s scent was still calming. But Oikawa’s nerves were a wreck, his body jittery, as if it were anxiously searching for something. His stomach curled, and, for a brief moment, Oikawa thought he really might just throw up. 

“Can we lie down?” he whispered. 

Iwa nodded, letting him go for a moment so that Oikawa could adjust himself on the bed, the omega grabbing a pillow and hugging it close to his chest. He closed his eyes and took in soft, shaky inhales, trying to calm his churning stomach. 

Iwa laid down on his side, resting the side of his head on his palm and running his hand through Oikawa’s hair, doing his best to soothe him.

Iwa’s palm felt nice. That warm hand brushing through his hair, steady and strong and everything Oikawa needed at the moment. He was able to relax for a moment under the alpha’s touch, matching his inhales to the strokes of Iwa’s palm. 

That is, until he felt his chest clench,then expand, then clench again, Oikawa feeling such a mess of emotions he really just wanted to die. 

This was exactly why he didn’t want to have Iwa around when when these symptoms started. The days right before his actual heat were always the worst, because his mind and body always fell completely out of his control.

It was mortifying. 

With shaking hands, he let go of the pillow, and grabbed hold of the front of Iwa’s shirt instead.

“Sorry, I’m just—“ Oikawa’s throat was dry, his voice something he didn’tquite recognize, “Is it ok if I cry, a bit?” 

Iwa held him tight, his shift in scent already giving Oikawa an answer though the alpha had yet to speak. “Do whatever you need to do,” Iwa whispered, pressing his lips to the top of Oikawa’s head. 

The tears were already falling, Tooru sniffling quietly into Iwa’s chest while he held the alpha tight, wrapping his legs around Iwa’s, tangling them as much as he could so that they could be even closer together. It was agonizing, this hopelessly hopeless feeling. 

“I’m sorry—”

“Shh,” Iwa’s chest was vibrating, soft, rumbling purrs twining around a gentle scent that was helping calm the omega down. “Does it hurt anywhere?” 

Oikawa nodded, sniffling as he clung to the front of Iwa’s shirt, “My stomach,” he sniffled again, lightly touching his scent glands, “A-And—they’re swollen—”

Iwa nodded to show that he understood, before dipping his head so that he could suckle softly on the glands. Oikawa let out hushed little whines between his sniffles, tightening the hold his legs had on Iwa’s thighs. Already, he could feel a difference. Sore and aching scent glands were one of the things he hated most about heats. Aside from the stomach cramps of course. But Iwa dealt with that too, the alpha resting a hand on the omega’s stomach tenderly. Oikawa couldn’t help but give out a soft hum at the sudden warmth. Finally, the tears had stopped, though his cheeks were still very much wet. 

“I’m sorry I don’t—I don’t know why I was crying—“ 

Iwa continued to massage the glands lightly with his teeth, to calm the swelling, stopping only to nuzzle Oikawa’s cheek. “That’s fine. So long as you’re not in pain.” 

“It doesn’t,” Oikawa swallowed, loosening his grip a bit, realizing his was still clinging to the alpha’s shirt, “It doesn’t really hurt…” he managed, nuzzling Iwa back. 

“Then that’s all that matters,” Iwa insisted, cupping his face and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. When he pulled away, Oikawa pulled him back in, and so Iwa kissed him deeply, Oikawa letting out a soft moan, his cheeks flushing pink for more than just one reason.

Again, Oikawa sniffled, because although he’d stopped crying, his snot didn’t seem to realize it. Not really caring though, he nuzzled into Iwa’s chest, letting out incomprehensible murmurs. 

Iwa let it happen, let Oikawa wipe his eyes against the fabric of his shirt, let him hide there until the omega was ready to look up at him again, and when Oikawa finally did look up, it came with a hesitant kiss to Iwa’s lips.

“Thank you,” Oikawa whispered, hiding behind his lashes before closing his eyes shut, squeezing Iwa into another hug, “I’m fine, now.” 

Iwa shifted slightly, so that they’d both be more comfortable, “Let’s stay like this for a bit,” he suggested, resting his cheek against Oikawa’s forehead and closing his eyes. Oikawa nodded, relaxing entirely in the alpha’s hold, the omega letting out soft little purrs while Iwa drew winding patterns along his back. 

The rapid beating of Oikawa’s heart had slowed to something that was much more pleasant, Iwa’s warmth seeming to melt away anything and everything, and although Oikawa’s head still felt a little fuzzy, he knew there wasn’t much that could be done about that until his heat was completely over. So for now he managed to relax, indulging in the way he and Iwa’s inhales had fallen in synch, their exhales matching in time to a steady rhythm. 

Slowly, Oikawa could feel himself drifting into sleep, Iwa’s scent surrounding him like a nest, the warmth and safety of it all only functioning as further incentive for the omega’s eyes to succumb to the weight of their exhaustion.

When he could no longer help it, Oikawa let out a little yawn, burying his nose in Iwa’s shirt. “I’m…a little sleepy,” he murmured into Iwa’s chest.

“Mm,” Iwa nodded, the pattern he was drawing slowing to a halt, “We can sleep.” 

Oikawa swallowed, closing his eyes for courage before looking up at the alpha, “H-Hajime?” he said, clutching at the alpha’s shirt again. 

“Yeah?”

Despite the darkness of the room, Oikawa could make out the alpha’s features perfectly. There was something incredibly tender about his expression. It nearly made his breath catch. 

He paused, but only just, Oikawa’s voice coming out as nothing more than a soft whisper. “Kiss me?” 

Iwa smiled, bumping his forehead against Oikawa’s, meeting the omega halfway so that their lips could fold over each other, coming together again and again in silent sweetness.

It was precisely in such a manner, held gently in Iwa’s warm embrace, that Oikawa Tooru was lulled to sleep, on that first day of the new year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School has started and it looks like it's gonna be a rough semester lol. But I'll get through! 
> 
> So since there seems to be some confusion, let me say this: THIS STORY WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED REGULARLY. I'm sorry if I gave anyone the idea that it wasn't? Again though, please remember I'm a senior in University, so update days are always subject to change. 
> 
>  
> 
> Regardless, thank you all so much for giving me so much love and support while writing this story. I'm excited for future chapters, so please look forward to them ^o^ Hope you enjoy and don't forget to comment/kudos! <3


	28. Chapter 28

Oikawa had been in heat for the past week. Which meant Iwa hadn’t seen him in nearly an entire week. Which was fine. Because Iwa was a patient man, and either way he still got to see Eiji. 

But he didn’t have to wait much longer, because Oikawa was coming back home today. Which meant Iwa got to pick Eiji up and cook Tooru a nice meal for his arrival. Which would mean a nice bit of bonding time between the two alphas. 

Iwa was looking forward to it. It’d been a while since they’d been able to hang out just the two of them. As much as he enjoyed his time with Oikawa, he also really wanted a relationship with Eiji. Especially after the slight bit of tension they’d been through over the holidays. Eiji had definitely clung to his mother after that whole ‘mommy’s bed’ episode. 

But Eiji was a smart kid. Iwa was confident in his ability to eventually have a really strong relationship with him. 

Upon picking him up from daycare though, everything seemed to be flowing smoothly enough, Eiji jumping around on the sidewalk as he told Iwa about his day, Iwa making sure to hold Eiji’s hand the whole way through. 

“And I can name ALL the planets! There’s a song to help you remember. But I kinda forgot the song so I’ll tell you later!” 

“I look forward to it,” Iwa chuckled, watching Eiji kick the same stone over and over again, “I was never very good at space.” 

“Neither is Mommy!” Eiji informed, “Mommy likes stars but he doesn’t know anything about them!” 

“Is that so?” 

Eiji nodded, happy to provide Iwa with information, “Uncle Bokuto and Mommy were fighting over what stars are called and—Mr. Iwa, did you know stars have names?—and Mommy kept saying one thing and and Uncle Bokuto kept saying something else and—in the end—Uncle Bokuto won!” 

“That sounds like it must have been a lot of fun to watch,” Iwa snorted, trying to hold back his laughter. 

“Mhm!!” Eiji nodded his head, “They fight a lot. It’s lots of fun. I always cheer for Uncle Bokuto because if I don’t cheer for him then he gets sad.” 

“You don’t cheer for your mom?”

Eiji shook his head, “Mommy always wins so he doesn’t need a cheerleader! That’s what Uncle Bokuto says.” 

“Always wins huh?” Iwa pulled Eiji back, cuz the little alpha was going to keep on walking, despite there being a red light. 

Again, Eiji nodded, “Mommy is the best at everything! And he’s _super_ smart! Did you know—Mommy made a commercial!” 

Iwa whistled, giving off an impressed look, “I think you told me before, but that’s still pretty cool.” 

“Yeah! Mommy’s famous!” 

Iwa couldn’t help but smile to himself. This kid was truly something else. Every time he talked to Eiji, he was reminded of how intense it must have been for Oikawa to raise him all on his own. If Eiji had been an omega that would have been one thing. But a rambunctious, talkative alpha like Eiji was—that was truly something. 

Of course, Oikawa could have gone a bit easier on the spoiling. But Eiji was doing pretty well regardless.

“So,” Iwa began, guiding Eiji towards the park, “You still up for helping me coach today?” 

“Can I play too Mr. Iwa?” 

“Hmmm,” Iwa exaggerated a pensive expression, “I don’t know about during practice…but once we’re done I think we could fit a game in there.”

“Awesome! Yes please!” 

They made their way to the center of the park, where a few of the kids were tossing some volleyballs around, waving at Iwa as they came closer. 

Upon seeing Eiji, of course, they all crowded around him, trying to meet the young alpha. Eiji’s usual boldness seemed to melt away, in the presence of such tall kids. He stood slightly behind Iwa’s legs as they all started to gather round.

“Whoa, Iwaizumi-sensei! You have a kid?” 

Iwa chuckled, patting Eiji on the head, “No, he’s—”

It was pointless to try and explain, because the kids had already gone off on their own tangent. 

“Stupid, he’s not even married yet how could he have a kid—”

“ _Baka_ you don’t have to be married to have a kid—”

“Yeah, _idiot_ do you not know how babies are made?”

“Oh like _you_ know how babies are made?” 

“I know more than you!” 

“Alright, alright!” Iwa waved his hands, “That’s enough of that. This is Eiji. Eiji, why don’t you introduce yourself?” 

“Hi,” Eiji said somewhat shyly, waving his hand, “My name is Eiji. I’m four. Nice to meet you. Um. Mr. Iwa isn’t my dad.” He informed everybody. 

The children cocked their heads, “Whoa no wonder he’s so short. We’re ten!” 

“I’m eleven!” 

“Shut _up_ Honnda no one _asked_ you—”

“Alright!” Iwa clapped his hands, “We gotta get started or we’ll run out of time.” 

The children groaned, but complied nonetheless, a few of them gathering up the balls they’d let get away from them, a few others setting up the net. 

“Ok,” Iwa turned to Eiji, crouching down next to him, “You’ve got the best seat in the house. You can help me keep track of points too, does that sound like something you can do?” 

“I can do it!” Eiji said excitedly. 

Iwa grinned widely, ruffling up the young alpha’s hair. “Awesome. I’m bad at remembering so I need all the help I can get.” 

“Don’t worry Mr. Iwa!” Eiji said excitedly, “I can keep track of ALL the points!” 

Though there were a few shouts and inputs from Eiji, practice went the way it usually did, Eiji happily reminding Iwa of all of the points. And while Iwa thought kids were generally the more curious of the bunch, it was nothing compared to how the parents started cooing over Eiji once they came to pick up their own kids, crowding around Iwa and asking if he was a nephew or something of the sort. 

“No,” Iwa had shaken his hands, “Eiji is—”

“Mr. Iwa is dating my mom!” Eiji finished for him, which led to light laughter from the adults, a few of the alphas nudging and whistling at Iwa, saying it was about time. 

Iwa was sort of irked, because Eiji had a really bad habit of speaking out at certain times. There wasn’t anything horribly awful about it—obviously Oikawa didn’t particularly mind that sort of thing, Iwa guessed, but still. If Iwa had spoken out of turn like that when he was a kid he definitely would’ve gotten scolded. At least a bit for interrupting.

“Iwaizumi-sensei~ If I’d known you didn’t mind a package deal I would have tried to exchange mail with you a long time ago~”

Iwa gave an awkward sort of smile, “I’m not sure your husband would appreciate that, Kouta-san.” 

“Oh,” the omega made a face, tapping his chin pensively, “I suppose…”

Iwa made it through a few more teasing remarks, one of his kids pointing out that he was blushing, Eiji making fun of him for it too, so that by the end of it all, Iwa couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief that everyone was _gone._

That had been a bit more painful than he’d wanted it to be. 

“Mr. Iwa!” Eiji said, as he watched and waited for Iwa to clean up, “Are we still gonna go grocery shopping?” 

“You bet,” Iwa said, “Think you can help me carry groceries?” 

“Yeah!” Eiji said happily, “Me and Mommy do it all the time!” 

Iwa had that going for him, at least, Eiji talking excitedly as they made their way to the grocery store, and eventually through the aisles of the store itself. 

Man this kid could talk. 

Usually, Iwa didn’t find it so irritating, but for some reason, today, all he wanted was for Eiji to just shut up. He blamed it on having to work and coach all day.

He couldn’t tell him that, though. So instead he just tuned Eiji out and redirected the conversation into something he could steer himself. That definitely made it less annoying. If Iwa was the one talking, then Eiji would just nod and chip in a few words of agreement. Which was definitely much easier to deal with. Again, Iwa found himself wondering how Oikawa managed it all on his own. More than that, he was truly in awe. Because when all was said and done, Eiji could really be a handful sometimes.

“Mr. Iwa Mr. Iwa! Let’s get sour plums!” 

“I think you guys already have some at home, don’t you?”

“No we don’t!” 

Eiji grabbed the jar with two hands, holding it tight against his chest, “We have to get some because they’re Mommy’s favorite!” He gave a little pout, one that Iwa knew Oikawa was prone to giving in to.

Already regretting his decision before even doing anything, Iwa kneeled down, silently praying to any and all gods that he wouldn’t end up with a tantrum on his hands.

“Eiji,” he said carefully, on an exhale, taking the jar from him, “I made sure to check before we went shopping. You guys don’t need sour plums.”

“But they’re Mommy’s favorite!” Eiji reached up, trying to grab the jar. Iwa stopped him, holding out a single hand, “I know your mom really likes them, but you guys already have some at home. If we bought more, then these ones would go bad, because you wouldn’t be able to eat them in time. Does that make sense?” 

Eiji frowned, crossing his arms and looking at Iwa with a confused expression, “But we eat lots of them! Mommy likes to eat them after natto!” 

“You’re always thinking of your mom, huh?” Iwa smiled, and Eiji looked at him, nodding eagerly and uncrossing his arms. 

“Tell you what,” Iwa shot him a pensive look, flipping the jar over in his hands and putting it back on the shelf, “When you guys _really_ need sour plums, we can come buy them for your mom. That way, we know for sure nothing will spoil.” He scrunched up his features, making a yucky face, “You don’t want your mom to eat nasty plums do you?” 

Eiji’s eyes widened, a shocked sort of gasp parting his lips, “No way!” 

Iwa chuckled, ruffling his hair, “I thought so.” 

“Ok then Mr. Iwa! I’ll let you know when there’s only one plum left! And then—then we can buy some more?”

“Absolutely,” Iwa said, but Eiji was already running away from him, crossing the aisle to press his nose against the glass of the refrigerated section. 

“Hey,” Iwa left the cart behind, tugging at Eiji and pulling him away from the glass, “You wouldn’t do that with your mom, would you?” 

Eiji looked down somewhat sheepishly, “No…”

“What would your mom say about that?” Iwa nudged him gently. 

Eiji looked up, repeating words like a machine, “Mommy says to always hold onto his hand. Or, at least, Mr. Iwa’s hand. Mommy says not to put my face to the glass because the glass is dirty and lots of people have touched it.” 

Awkwardly, Iwa cleared his throat. That was almost verbatim. He could practically hear Oikawa in Eiji’s voice. He shook his head, “If you know, then why’d you do it? It’s dangerous to run off like that. And the glass is all icky.” 

“But Mr. Iwa!” Eiji pointed and gave excited little hops, “There’s orange juice!” 

“Oh, no,” Iwa shook his head, “Your mom would kill us—”

“But it’s just juice! Please please pleaaaaaseeeee—”

“No, come on,” Iwa tried to tug him, but Eiji was using all of his dead weight to stay in the same spot, “Eiji—”

“We never get to buy juice—” Tears were forming around the young alpha’s eyes, and Iwa’s instincts were flaring up into panic mode. 

What the hell was he supposed to do if Eiji started crying and screaming in the middle of the store?

“Ok, tell you what,” Iwa kneeled in front of him, thinking quickly, “If you can promise—if you can _really_ promise that you’ll be nice and quiet when your mom gets home, and eat all of your dinner, then I’ll buy some juice—”

“Really??!!”

“But—“ Iwa held up his finger, “Only if you’re good. Your mom is gonna be really tired when he gets home today, so we have to make things easy for him, right?” 

He wasn’t really sure if Eiji understood all of that, but the young alpha agreed to any and all terms (Iwa was sure if he’d asked him for his first born child Eiji still would have agreed) so things ended with Iwa grabbing a carton of orange juice and handing it down to Eiji. 

“Mr. Iwa?” Eiji asked quietly, looking at the carton, completely mesmerized.

“Yeah?” 

Eiji held it up, “Is this the one with the stuff in it?” 

Iwa crinkled his features, “The stuff?” 

Eiji nodded, “Some orange juice has stuff in it and it’s gross.”

Still not understanding, Iwa took the carton from him, “Orange juice is just orange—“ he stopped himself, realizing this one had _heavy pulp._

“I got it.” 

He put that carton back, and replaced it with one that said _no pulp._ He handed it to Eiji, “There you go. This one doesn’t have stuff.” 

“Yay!” Eiji gripped it tight against his chest, carrying it happily all the way back to the cart, where he needed Iwa’s help to deposit it into the basket. 

The rest of the trip continued much in the same manner, with Eiji asking for one thing or another that he didn’t need, the little alpha becoming increasingly frustrated. Iwa didn’t know if that was just a child reacting to the word _no_ or if it was because Oikawa was prone to saying _yes._

There was still a lot he had to learn about his parenting style. 

Either way they made it through the grocery store with minimal amounts of fuss, finally making it through the checkout. The bag-lady seemed to recognize Eiji, since she purposely put all the light items together, so that Eiji could help carry a few bags himself. Iwa thanked her for it, because that became one less thing he had to worry about. 

When they got back to the apartment, Iwa instructed Eiji to wash his hands, and he did the same, unloading all of the groceries and getting to work on dinner. 

The simple thought of Oikawa finally coming back seemed to give him newfound energy. 

Everything was finished rather quickly (since Iwa had practiced this recipe beforehand) pots and pans washed (with Eiji’s help of course) and they’d just finished wiping down the counters, when the doorbell rang. 

Both alphas seemed to let out the same kind of gasp, Eiji jumping off the high stool and yelling for _Mommy!!_

Iwa snapped at him to _be careful,_ just watching the action nearly giving him a heart attack, but he ran for the door, same as Eiji, throwing it open, excited to finally see his omega again. 

There were noticeable bags under the Oikawa’s eyes. A faded sweet scent coming from the omega, paired with a tired kind of smile and a relieved sort of exhale, when Oikawa came through the door, dropping his overnight bag and bringing Eiji in for a hug. 

“I missed you so much.” 

“I missed you too Mommy!” Eiji nuzzled his mom back, happy and glowing and everything a child could be after reuniting with their parent. 

Eventually, though, Oikawa stood up, and gave Iwa a hug too, thanking him for taking care of Eiji.

“It was no problem. My pleasure, actually.” 

“Mommy, we made dinner! I helped!” 

“No way! Why don’t you go wash your hands so we can get started?”

“Ok!” With that Eiji dashed off, leaving Iwa and Oikawa to themselves. Oikawa shuffled weakly towards the alpha, letting his head drop onto Iwa’s shoulder. 

“Tired?”

“Exhausted.” 

“Well we’ll just eat a bit and then you can go take a nap.”

“That’d be nice.”

“How was the room? Was it um—did you feel ok I mean?” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa nodded, “I always use that hotel. They’re very clean and know what they’re doing. Scent purifiers, 24-hour room service, all that jazz.”

“Glad to hear it.” 

“I have to wash your sweater,” Oikawa yawned, “I wasn’t able to make use of the laundry service. I kinda just wanted to come back home.”

“No worries,” Iwa smiled, “Take your time with it.”

“Mommy!!!! Mr. Iwa!!!!” Eiji called from the ktichen, “Hurry up!!!” 

“Guess we better go,” Oikawa said with a simple smile, pushing past Iwa and making his way into the dining room. 

To Iwa’s relief, Oikawa became much livelier once the meal began, the omega laughing and chatting with his son, cutting Eiji’s portions into bite-sized pieces, listening to four days’ worth of adventures that Eiji had been holding back on telling. 

“And then Mr. Iwa bought me juice!” 

“I can see that,” Oikawa said, in a voice that wasn’t impressed in the least, pointing at the cup in front of Eiji and then glancing at Iwa, “I thought we talked about this?” 

It made Iwa a little more nervous than he cared to admit, “Him and I struck a deal.” 

Oikawa raised an eyebrow, “Did you now?” 

“Mr. Iwa said we couldn’t get sour plums!” 

Again the omega made a face, looking directly at Iwa, “We always get sour plums.” He glanced over at Eiji, his expression relaxing into a smile as he ran his fingers through his son’s hair, “Eiji loves buying them for me since he knows I like them.” 

“I checked before we left,” Iwa said, swallowing his food, “You guys had a whole jar. I thought it’d be a waste.” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa gave a lenient shrug, “But he’s so happy doing it.”

This time it was Iwa’s turn to contort his features, “But that’d be wasting food. And money. You spoil him too much sometimes, you know?” he chuckled, returning his attention to his plate. He missed the glare Oikawa shot in his direction. 

“I don’t spoil him,” he said, “Eiji knows there’s limits to everything.” 

Iwa nodded while he chewed, buying time before he swallowed again, “Like with orange juice,” he motioned with his chopsticks. 

Oikawa gave a small frown, so Iwa figured it’d be best to stop with his teasing. He gave a quick laugh and an apology, everyone returning to their food once again. 

It may have been something else entirely, Iwa wasn’t sure, but there was an awkward string of tension that continued throughout the meal. Especially once everyone was done, Eiji running off to watch his one episode before bed, and Oikawa keeping to himself, silently washing the dishes. 

Iwa had offered to help, but Oikawa rejected it of course, the way he always did. One of these days Iwa would have to ask _how_ Oikawa washed dishes, so that Iwa could properly take over when the omega was tired like this. 

So instead of dishes, he just looked over Eiji, doing the dance he now knew by memory, calling out all the right “magic words” at all the right parts so that whatever plot twist the show needed could continue on effortlessly. It’d taken a while, but now, for the most part, doing this kind of stuff with Eiji was pretty fun. 

When the show was over Oikawa said it was time for bed, and although Eiji protested he eventually gave in, and so they all got up, starting to head towards the stairs, before Oikawa held his hand up at Iwa, Eiji rushing up the stairs in front of them. 

“I got it,” he said, and then turned his back to him, following Eiji up the stairs. 

If Iwa wasn’t sure before, he was now. Something was definitely off. It wasn’t like they’d never tucked in Eiji together before. But he tried not to think about it too much, because maybe Oikawa just wanted some quality time with his son after being away for so long. 

That was probably it. 

So Iwa just waited patiently for Oikawa to come back down, smiling widely at the omega and pulling him into a hug. “You must be tired,” he said. 

“Mmm,” Oikawa nodded, and pulled himself away, “But there’s still stuff to clean up,” he said, grabbing the orange juice off the table, and heading back into the kitchen. 

“I can do that,” Iwa offered, “Why don’t you go and take a nap? I can give Eiji his milk—”

“No,” Oikawa shook his head, “It’s fine.” 

Iwa crinkled his features, putting his hand on Tooru’s shoulder, “Tooru? Everything ok?” 

Oikawa shrugged him off. 

“I’m not mad or anything,” Oikawa began, opening the fridge, “But the orange juice?” He waved the carton before putting it away, “Please refrain from purchasing this next time.”

Iwa shrugged easily, leaning against the counter, “It’s just a little bit. Not worse than that soda you’ve got in there.” He motioned with his head.

With a deep inhale, Oikawa closed the fridge, “Yes,” he said, “Believe me, I _know_ that. I _know_ what everyone says. But Eiji is _my_ child and I don’t want him drinking juice. So that’s just the end of it.” 

He grabbed at the dishtowel, picking up a bowl to dry. 

“Ok but,” Iwa crinkled his features, “Isn’t he eventually going to be _our_ child? I mean,” he motioned between them, smiling, “That is the whole point of this, right? There’s eventually gonna be some moments of compromise—”

Oikawa set the bowl down, with such strange silence that Iwa felt the hairs of his nape stand on end. “It’s…” Oikawa shook his head, “It’s too early to be thinking about that right now.” 

Iwa raised his eyebrows, “Too early?” 

“We’ve only been dating, what—not even a year yet?” He returned to his drying, not looking at Iwa, “I don’t really think—”

“What does the amount of time matter?”

“It matters!” Oikawa retorted immediately, “Time is—“

“Wait,” Iwa shook his head, holding his hands up, “What the hell does our relationship mean to you then?” 

Oikawa frowned, letting out a bit of an eyeroll, “Don’t make this into something it’s not. The bottom line here is that I’m Eiji’s mother, and I don’t want him—”

“That’s the bottom line? So where do I come in in all of this?”

“What are you even saying right now?” Oikawa crinkled up his features, “All I wanted was to just come home and relax and you’re over here—I don’t even know what you’re trying to do. These things happen at their own pace—“

“That’s my exact point,” Iwa managed, starting to feel a little irritated.

“What?”

“They happen at their own pace. But it just feels like no matter what you keep interfering with that pace. So when will you let things happen naturally? When do I stop having to feel like I’m walking on eggshells?”

Oikawa’s eyes widened, the omega letting out a scoff, “On eggshells?”

“That’s what it feels like sometimes.”

Oikawa shook his head, “You know what I don’t appreciate? Is you really trying to argue with me when certain things just aren’t up to you.”

“That’s fine and I get that, but I’m asking when. _When_ in your perfectly scheduled life have you declared it ok for me to finally break through all these goddamn walls you keep putting up? It’s like every time I think we’re making progress we just start back at square one again—“

“Oh my god. Are you just upset because we didn’t spend my heat together?”

“No,” Iwa said, officially frustrated, “We talked about your heat—I respect your decision—“

“ _Oh my god_ that is it isn’t it?? Is that why you suddenly want to be a father figure to him? So I’ll accept you faster?”

“What the fuck do you mean _suddenly_? My intentions with you and Eiji have always been more than clear. I love you. I love you and I love him. I want to be a part of your lives. I want to help him grow. If you’d just fucking let me—“

“I’ve given you much more liberty than I have almost any other person so I don’t really know what you’re saying. But if your goal was to piss me off then mission accomplished. _I’m_ his mother, and you’re just the man I’m dating. That’s it.”

“That’s _it?_ Being his mom isn’t a trump-all-card, Tooru! I don’t wanna _just be the guy you’re dating._ I wanna be your alpha one day. I want Eiji to see me as his father too. But in order for that to happen there needs to be communication between us—”

Oikawa shook his head, “There’s nothing to communicate! You’re _not_ Eiji’s father. You’re _not_ his parent. One day, _maybe,_ but this relationship only has like seven months behind it and I couldn’t even make one that had five years work so forgive me if I’m not ready to ride into the sunset with you. What is this even—” he waved his hands around, exasperated, “How did all of this get started over _juice?_ Is that really what we’re arguing about right now? _”_

“I think you know it’s more than just that, Tooru.”

The omega stayed silent, clenching his teeth slightly while he took in an inhale to try and calm himself down. “I really don’t need you yelling at me right now,” he sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“I’m not yelling.” 

_“You don’t need words to yell.”_ The omega’s eyes shot open, sharp and deadly, and Iwa noticed the heavy scent that had begun to fill the room. 

Fuck.

The alpha shook his head. 

“I know you’ve been doing this on your own for the longest,” Iwa restarted, voice calmer and quieter than before, the alpha trying to reel his scent in, “I understand and I respect the hell out of that. But if you don’t see me as potentially standing by your side, as potentially becoming a father to Eiji, then that’s a something we gotta work out. If you can’t get it through that stubborn skull of yours that I _want_ to be a part of this family or if you don’t _want_ me in this family then I think that’s something I deserve to know now. 

“Don’t you _dare._ Don’t you _dare_ flip that around and act like I don’t feel the same way about you as you do me—”

“You don’t, Tooru,” Iwa shrugged helplessly, “That’s just it. You don’t.” 

“I—”

“And I already knew that,” the alpha added quickly, “ And I don’t care. I’ll wait as long as I have to for your feelings to catch up to mine. But if I’m just going to be this convenient— _side_ character to your life then I don’t want that.” 

Oikawa said nothing. Couldn’t even manage the strength to refute him. He shook his head, bringing his hand up to his temple, “I don’t wanna talk about this right now,” his voice came out as a shaky whisper, “I’m exhausted, and Eiji still needs his milk, so—I think it’d be better if you just left, for tonight.” 

Iwa’s eyes widened, “You want me to leave?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t want to talk this out? You don’t want to fix this?”

“No,” Oikawa shook his head again, already heading for the door, “I don’t. Now please, get out.” 

Iwa scoffed, smirking to hide the pain in his eyes as he pushed past Oikawa, slipping his shoes on in two easy motions and opening the door himself. “You know, you’re right” he said, looking back at him, teeth clenched and hand resting on the door handle. “I don’t think our fighting styles are compatible.” 

Iwa didn’t look back as he slammed the door shut, holding onto the handle for a few moments, half second guessing himself, before letting go, and making his way out of the apartment building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this is gonna be another long author's note sorry lol. But they're always long so whatever.
> 
> If you've read my previous works you already know what this is. That's right. Please make your way to the platform to board because the PAIN TRAIN IS LEAVING THE STATION. *choo choo* I feel like I'm gonna have to pass out a lot of tissues XD But boy oh boy their first big fight. I'm excited *bounces*
> 
> Ok so a quick update on me and my life (idk if any of you care, but I do, so here we go): I know I said updates would happen on Wednesday, but I already fucked that up lol. The good news is though this semester's marketing group seems WAY more competent than my last one. So I got that going for me. 
> 
> Either way I think I'm just gonna update when I update, though I'm gonna try to maintain like a once a week thing going. I just can't guarantee what day in the week it'll be lol. If you follow me on tumblr I'll try and provide updates, or you could follow me on twitter (which I don't know how to use) but I'll try and start posting stuff on there too to keep everyone on the same page. I've got the same name everywhere: madamemalfoy21 if you wanna give a follow.
> 
> Lastly, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!! Regardless of everything else the amount of love I've gotten for this story surpasses everything I ever thought it would. We're 100 kudos away from 2k kudos. Like what even is that?? I never thought that'd be possible. Seriously that's all thanks to you guys. Ty for reading, for commenting, for sending me asks on tumblr, all of that stuff makes my day and keeps me going. I could never do it without you guys. So sorry for getting all mushy and emotional but I seriously love you all so much!! Thank you!!


	29. Chapter 29

As soon as the door shut, Oikawa went upstairs, and started to cry. He gathered his composure long enough to tell Eiji there’d be no milk today, but after that he locked himself in his room, and curled up in a makeshift nest. Really all he’d done was wrap himself in his bedsheets,because he didn’t have the strength to gather enough material for a legitimate nest. 

Everything hurt. His chest, and his eyes, and the space between his legs. His glands were sore from spending the entire week swollen and searching, left without an alpha to sate them.

Alone in his bed, Oikawa clutched at the sheets, still sobbing, and let out a long, whimpering whine. The last thing he needed right now was a fight with Iwa. That was the absolute _last_ thing. He hugged his pillow closer to his chest, and cried a little more. 

He figured he just needed to let it all out. That it would be better that way. Once morning came, then he could worry about everything else. 

And then maybe everything would be ok.

Except, once morning did come, he didn’t really feel any different. If anything, he probably felt _worse,_ because his eyes were all swollen, and his throat hurt from sobbing so much. It was borderline pathetic. Even still, he could’ve gotten over all of that, could’ve gotten over _everything_ , because he figured that by now his phone would have a million missed calls and 37 unread text messages, so that he and Iwa could fix whatever last night’s hot mess had been.

But his phone didn’t have anything. Not a single notification.

No, that couldn’t be right. Quickly, he turned it off, and then turned it back on. There must have been a glitch or something. Iwa was always very quick to realize when he was in the wrong. Because Iwa had _definitely_ been in the wrong last night, attacking him like that, right after his heat. 

His phone finished turning on, and Oikawa received a few notifications about some apps that had been updated. 

But nothing from Iwa. 

Oikawa popped his lips, officially irritated. If Iwa wanted to play the silent treatment game, then he had another thing coming. Because the silent treatment is what Oikawa did _best._ He’d used it on every single relationship thus far, and it never failed him. So if Iwa thought this was seriously gonna work against _him,_ then he was nothing short of an idiot. 

And, not to mention, it was a pretty childish tactic in the first place, so all it was really doing was showing how immature Iwa actually was. Maybe Oikawa just had the wrong idea about him in the first place. This was why the amount of time _did_ matter, because sometimes people pulled shit out of the blue like this. 

Oikawa decided to give it a day. The alpha wouldn’t be able to last much longer than that. Iwa just wasn’t the type.

But the first day turned into the second, and the second turned into the third. 

At the end of the first, Oikawa was relatively fine. It’s not like they’d ever gone a full day without contact or anything like that. By the second day, he was pissed. Livid, actually, because it was more than just childish stubbornness at that point. But by the third day, Oikawa began to worry, thinking up possible murder scenarios, especially when he called Iwa, but the line went straight to voicemail. The fourth day came and went, Eiji asking where Mr. Iwa was, and why he hadn’t come to visit, Oikawa managing through it by saying work had been busy, but he didn’t know if that was true, didn’t know where Iwa was or what he was doing, didn’t know _anything,_ and come the fifth day….by the _fifth_ day…

Oikawa was starting to let the bad thoughts in. 

He’d tried calling Iwa again, but again it went to voicemail. Just like it had every other time that week.

Was Iwa that upset? Oikawa just…needed some time, that was all. Iwa knew that. It’s not like it was any different from before, right?

Unless the alpha had hit his breaking point? There was a limit to how patient and understanding someone could be. And Iwa had been incredibly patient. But Oikawa still wasn’t ready to bond. Surely Iwa understood that? Hadn’t he said he understood that? Is that even what they’d been fighting about? No, that wasn’t what Iwa had said. He’d said something about…

No, no, Oikawa reasoned. This was way too out of character. Iwa wouldn’t just _leave._ He wouldn’t just fall off the face of the earth and never contact him again. 

Oikawa’s chest clenched. 

Hadn’t he thought the same about Kaito? 

No. No, that wasn’t right. Iwa wasn’t Kaito. And Kaito wasn’t Iwa. Those were two completely separate things. 

Iwa was Iwa, and maybe Iwa right now just didn’t want to talk. Maybe he just needed to cool down. Iwa was patient, so Oikawa could be patient too. 

But still, to not be answering his phone was a bit…

Maybe something happened?? Would Oikawa even be contacted under those circumstances? Who the hell was he supposed to ask? It wasn’t like he and Iwa had any mutual friends. Oikawa didn’t know the alpha’s parents. And actually, the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he knew anything about the alpha at all.

He’d never really bothered to ask. 

But that wasn’t _his_ fault. Iwa was always so accommodating. There had just never really been a need to…

Oikawa trembled, feeling the tears start to gather around his eyes. 

No. No, they just needed to talk this out. There was probably a logical explanation for this. Of course there was. These things always had logical explanations. Even still, he couldn’t get a hold of his nerves. So he called out to Eiji, telling him to get dressed because they were going to go visit grandma. 

Right now, Oikawa just needed his mom. 

Tooru didn’t seem to need to say anything, when they got there, because the moment Fumi took one look at her son, she called out to her husband, telling him to take care of Eiji. 

Without a single word, she led Tooru into the master bedroom, so that they could talk privately. She sat them down on the bed, taking Tooru’s hands into her own.

“What happened?” She was serious, her lips pursed together, eyes seeming to burn through Tooru’s skull. 

The omega submitted out of habit, shaking his head, “We got into a fight.” 

Fumi nodded, and Tooru swallowed, motioning with his hands, “I don’t—I don’t know. I can’t get in touch with him…” 

“From the beginning Tooru. The full story.” 

He knew his mother would ask that of him. But he wasn’t confident in his ability to not cry while explaining. Somehow it didn’t really matter, though, because that was what moms were for anyway, Tooru figured, and despite the fact that he felt like he was 10 years old again, he sobbed into his mother’s chest, trying as best he could to explain what had happened almost a week ago. 

“…and now he won’t—he hasn’t called—I’ve called him but he doesn’t answer—Mom I just—”

“Now you listen to me, Tooru,” his mom’s voice was soothing, her hands warm and gentle as she ran them up and down his back, “Because there’s a lot more going on here than you want to admit.” 

“I’m _not—“_

“Oikawa Tooru. You’re as stubborn today as you were the day you were born. How many times have I said it—”

“I _know,”_ Tooru grumbled, sniffling and wiping his face, “You needed a C-section because I wouldn’t move even though the doctors put me in a birthing position—”

“That’s exactly right. You’re hard headed, and you think you’re right no matter what. You got that from me, so I’m sorry for passing it down. But you need to work on seeing things from someone else’s point of view.” 

“But that doesn’t change the fact that he hasn’t called me—”

“Tooru!” She _barked,_ which had always been more than enough to get the omega to shut his lips and listen, so Oikawa just sniffled, rolling a tissue around in his hands while he patiently waited for his mom to continue. 

“I’ll get there,” she sighed, “But first things first. Take a page from your father’s book. Patience, acceptance, and open ears.” 

Tooru made a face, rolling his eyes and groaning.

“I know,” Fumi reached out, brushing her son’s hair back, “But did you really listen to what Iwaizumi had to say?” 

Tooru bowed his head again, rolling his tongue over his teeth. “He said…I kept interfering…” he motioned with his hands, “With the whole flow. I guess. Of things. Between him and Eiji.” 

“And?” Fumi asked, “Are you?” 

“No.” Oikawa replied immediately, lifting his chin up. 

Fumi tilted her head, “Tooru…? Are you sure about that?” 

A small pout came from the omega’s bottom lip, “Well it’s not that—I mean I _guess_ but—Eiji is _my_ son—”

“He’s your son, Tooru, but until you learn how to properly communicate then he’ll only ever _be_ your son, and there won’t ever be enough room for Iwaizumi. From what you’ve told me, he wants you to make enough room.” 

“But—”

“Now that I’ve said my piece about that, I don’t like the way he’s handling this. Unless it’s some sort of misunderstanding, then I think its best for you and Eiji to walk away. A man who walks away from his problems isn’t a man at all. But I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding takes five days to sort out.” 

That had Tooru bursting into sobs all over again, the tissue no help to him whatsoever, “But it doesn’t make any sense! He was so patient up until now! And he never really got mad before? So I just don’t get how someone so composed just freaking—up and disappears like that! I don’t know if maybe I should go to his apartment, or—”

“No,” Fumi immediately shook her head, “If he doesn’t want to contact you then that’s on him. You shouldn’t have to go to such extremes for a man who won’t even—”

The door opened just then, Tooru’s father stepping in, “Surely visiting the man’s house isn’t an extreme, Fumi.” 

Tooru sniffled, bottom lip trembling, “Where’s Eiji?”

“He fell asleep on the couch,” Mamoru said,walking over to his son and hugging him, Tooru’s face now smooshed against his dad’s stomach. “What happened with Iwaizumi-san?” the beta said, voice calm and even.

His mother filled his dad in, Tooru hiding in his father’s shirt the whole time, inhaling the calming scent of old leather. 

“I don’t think we should be jumping to conclusions so quickly,” Mamoru said finally, “When you two haven’t had the chance to talk things through.” 

“He obviously doesn’t _want_ to talk things through,” Oikawa sniffled angrily, wiping his nose with his sleeve, “This is exactly why I didn’t want to date. I knew something like this would happen—”

“Ah, yes. The fighting. Heaven forbid a couple should fight—”

“This is _not_ the time Dad!” Tooru’s voice cracked, tears starting down his cheeks again, “I really thought—he made me think—“

Mamoru bent down, onto his knees the way he’d done when Tooru was little. With a gentle thumb he wiped at his son’s eyes, giving that soft smile that had always filled Tooru’s chest with warmth. “I think you need to seriously think about what the issue is here. Iwaizumi thinks you’re closed off. You think you’re not. That’s a problem that only the two of you can come together on. I’m not saying to change your thinking, but you do need to meet somewhere in the middle. Relationships are compromise, Tooru.” 

Tooru didn’t meet his dad’s gaze, just looked off to the side as if he were the one getting in trouble. He knew what his dad was saying was right, but none of it excused Iwa’s silence.

“And,” Mamoru groaned, pushing against his knees to stand up, “Think about what made you so angry in the first place. Was it because he let Eiji drink juice?” 

That seemed to trigger Tooru all over again, “He _knows_ I don’t—”

Mamoru held up his hand, shaking his head, “I’m not talking about Iwaizumi-san. Think about why _you’re_ angry. Eiji will always be your son, Tooru. Nothing can take that away from you. So have confidence in it, ok?” He ran his hands through his son’s hair, before kissing him on the forehead. “I’m going to go check on Eiji. You two can finish up whatever you’d like in here.” 

Fumi and Tooru watched him leave, Mamoru quietly shutting the door behind him. Tooru reached for another tissue, sniffling a little bit, and letting his dad’s words sink in.

“Well, what can I say,” Fumi tossed her hands up, sighing as if everything had been fixed, “He was always the more level-headed between the two of us.” She motioned between herself and Tooru. “Whatever you want to do now, you know we’ll support you.” 

Tooru nodded, “I know that.” 

Fumi smiled, kissing her son on the cheek. 

“Can I…” Tooru hesitated, “Is it ok if I sleep for a bit? I’ll have Kou come pick us up later—”

Fumi shook her head, “Rest as much as you need, but have Eiji stay with us tonight. That way you can figure out what it is you need to do without having to worry about anything.” 

Tooru nodded, the tears starting again, “Ok,” he managed, “Thank you.” 

The phone rang suddenly, and Oikawa groaned, reaching into his pocket to reject the call. Fumi shot him a questioning look, but Tooru just gave a tired sigh, shaking his head, “It’s work. I always get new people calling me but I don’t want to deal with it right now.” 

Fumi nodded to show she understood, before she kissed him again, and then left the room so that Tooru could get some sleep in. But after everything that had happened, Oikawa wasn’t sure he’d be able to nap at all. 

Surprisingly, though, he was out like a light, and by the time he woke up, he found that Koutarou was already downstairs, helping clean up whatever was left of the dirty dishes. 

Had he slept through dinner? 

“Mommy Mommy!” Eiji was the first to see him, running straight for his legs and tackling him with a hug, “Did you have a nice nap?!” 

“Yes,” Oikawa bent down, bringing his son into a hug and nuzzling him, “It was a very nice nap.” 

“Grandma says you’re getting sick!” 

Oikawa gave a weak smile, “I think I might be. A little bit.” 

“Mommy!!” Eiji gasped, “You have to drink lots of soup!” 

“It’s ok little man,” Bokuto came over, ruffling up Eiji’s hair, “I’ll take good care of him.” 

Eiji tugged at his uncle’s shirt, so that Bokuto would bend down for something “top secret.” Though it wasn’t very secret, because Eiji’s concept of a whisper was nothing more than a soft scream. 

_“You can give Mommy one of my pudding cups!”_

Bokuto nodded seriously, “Will do.” 

Oikawa couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips, as he brought his son in for another hug, the contact seeming to heal him momentarily. 

“Thank you for coming,” Oikawa told Bokuto, still holding onto Eiji. 

“It’s not big deal. You know I’m always here.”

He nodded, nuzzling Eiji again, “I’m gonna go with your Uncle so you don’t get sick. Will you be good for grandma until I get better?” 

Eiji nodded, “Yes, Mommy!” 

“We already packed up the leftover food,” Fumi called, “You can just heat it up when you get home. Cut back on that coffee you’re always drinking. You’re Japanese. You should drink tea.” 

Tooru sighed, “Yes, Mom.” 

His dad came in, pulling Tooru into a hug, “Make sure to rest. You always push yourself past your limits. Relax and have some fun with Bokuto, ok? And eat,” he pointed his finger at his son, before motioning at Bokuto, “Koutarou, make sure he eats.” 

Bokuto chuckled, “Will do, Uncle.”

* * *

 

When they got back to Oikawa’s house, Bokuto didn’t say anything about how Oikawa went straight for a glass of wine. The omega poured them each a glass, sitting down at the dining table and sighing. Though the wine had been poured, neither of them drank any of it, Tooru really just swirling his around in his glass. 

“Thank you,” he cleared his throat, “For coming.” 

“You know I’m always here for you.” 

Oikawa nodded, finally taking a sip of his wine. “Um…” he struggled, “How’s Akaashi?”

Bokuto raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question it. “Akaashi’s fine.” He said simply. 

Oikawa nodded again, trying his best to keep the small talk going, “And the bakery? That going well for him still?” 

“Same as always, Tooru.” 

The omega sat there silently, trying to fill up the empty space by taking another sip of wine. 

“So,” Bokuto said, “You gonna tell me what’s happening or we gonna keep beating around the bush?” 

Oikawa shifted in his seat, “I feel like you already know what’s happening.” 

Bokuto nodded, “Yeah, your mom told me.”

“So then there’s nothing else to say,” Oikawa shrugged. 

“There’s a lot left to say,” Bokuto urged, “Why didn’t you call me earlier?” 

Oikawa shook his head, “I didn’t wanna bother you.” 

“The only time you bother me is when you pull stunts like this. You always want to handle everything on your own—”

“You think I can handle everything on my own?!” Oikawa didn’t really realize, but something in him just _snapped_ , “I can’t handle _anything_ on my own! I have no idea what I’m doing! I am so scared. Every day. Every single _fucking_ day of my life it’s just me being so _scared_ and I’m so _fucking_ tired of being scared—”

“Tooru—“

“What am I going to do?” The sobs started again, Oikawa’s voice shaking, bringinga hand up to his temple, “When Eiji grows up he’s going to hate me. I’m spoiling him rotten and he’s just gonna—I know I’m kind of a helicopter parent and that’s not really what I wanted to be but—Kou I just—what am I supposed to do—”

“Tooru,” Bokuto was about to pull him into a hug, but Tooru sat perfectly still just then, trembling and letting out a broken whine that was unique to omegas alone. 

_“It’s happening again,”_ he whispered, looking up at Bokuto with wet eyes, nodding in affirmation, “I’m being abandoned again.” 

“Tooru,” Bokuto grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him, “No one is abandoning anyone—”

“He is though,” the tears didn’t stop, “He’s not even coaching in the park anymore. He loves those kids. He’s obviously avoiding me. I just—it’s like whatever I do I mess things up—”

“Ok,” Bokuto said calmly, bringing him in, “You know what you need to do? You need to stop playing the victim. Be more confident in who you are as a person. You’re both adults, and you both fucked up. Think about what your dad said. I’m sure as soon as you guys talk—”

“But he doesn’t _want_ to talk!” Oikawa shouted, completely pissed, “I’ve called him so many times and each time it goes straight to—”

“Ok, ok, so why don’t the two of us go to his house tomorrow? Or even tonight? Get this resolved—”

“Why,” Tooru scoffed, voice chopped up by sniffles, “Just to find out that he’s fucking moved? That he’s packed up all his things and—”

His phone began to ring again, and Oikawa let out such a sharp _screech_ that Bokuto got goosebumps, especially from the way Oikawa threw his phone across the table.

“And this _stupid_ fucking number won’t stop _calling_ me—!”

“Wait wait wait,” Bokuto held his hands up, the phone still ringing on the other side of the table, “Iwa disappears, and you suddenly start getting phone calls from an unknown number, and you don’t fucking put two and two together?” 

OIkawa rolled his eyes, “That’s not him,” he sniffled, wiping his face, “If he really wanted to contact me he’d show up.” 

Bokuto shot him a look. 

Oikawa raised his eyebrows, “Don’t answer it—”

It was too late, though, because Bokuto was already raising the phone to his ear, “Hello?” 

_“Ah! Hello! I’m so glad you finally answered. My name is Kuroo Tetsurou, I’m a friend of Iwa’s. Is this Oikawa Tooru? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you—”_

Bokuto eyed Oikawa, before bringing his attention back to the caller. “No, one second please, let me pass the phone to him.”

_“Yes, thank you very much!”_

Bokuto held the phone out, Oikawa looking at him blankly, a sinking feeling starting at the pit of the omega’s stomach. 

“What is it?” 

Bokuto offered him the phone, “I think you need to take this—”

“He’s not dead, is he?” Oikawa grimaced, voice coming out at just a whisper.

“Tooru just take the damn phone!” 

Oikawa took it, bringing it up against his ear, and clearing his throat before answering. “This is Oikawa Tooru speaking.” 

The voice on the other line was bright and cheery, which quelled Oikawa’s insecurities for the time being. “Hello, Oikawa-san! My name is Kuroo Tetsurou. I’m a friend of Hajime’s. I’ve been trying to contact you for about a week now—“

“If this is about Iwa then please tell him he can contact me himself—”

“Yes, you see, that’s exactly what I’ve been meaning to speak with you about,” the man on the phone cleared his throat, tone plunging into something that was a bit awkward, “Well, it all happened really quickly. From what I understand um…well…” 

Oikawa’s heart raced. Iwa wasn’t _actually_ dead, was he?

“It seems as though your pheromones might have triggered his rut? Usually it’s not like this but it all happened really suddenly, which is why—”

“Ruts only last two to three days max,” Oikawa blurted, mine swirling, “I don’t know who you are but I don’t appreciate being lied to—”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought—Iwa said you were aware of his status as a pack leader?” 

Oikawa blinked, not really sure if pack leaders had longer ruts than usual. He put the phone on speaker, motioning at Bokuto and mouthing the word _google._

Bokuto was already on it, showing him the webpage that declared pack leaders did indeed have week-long ruts. 

“Yes,” Oikawa cleared his throat, “Yes, sorry. That’s right.”

“Yeah. Well he’s still pretty out of it right now,” Kuroo informed, “But by tomorrow things should be mostly back to normal. He said he really needed to talk to you. Apparently it was something very important. He’s not usually the kind of guy to ask me for favors like this,” the man chuckled, before starting up again, “But if it’s alright with you, maybe dropping by for a little bit tomorrow? I’m sure he’d really appreciate it.” 

Numbly, Oikawa nodded, before realizing that he actually had to give some kind of verbal response. 

“Oh, um. Tomorrow. Yes. Yeah, I suppose I could—what time?”

“Afternoon would probably be better. He’ll be more awake by then.” 

Oikawa nodded dumbly again, saying that he could drop by tomorrow around two. 

He hung up, only to find that Bokuto was looking at him with an _I told you so_ kind of expression, his arms crossed while he bore holes into Tooru’s skull. 

The omega clicked his tongue, taking in a large inhale and avoiding the alpha’s gaze. “I…may have…jumped to conclusions.” 

“You think?” 

“Ok, ok,” Oikawa held his hand up, “But that doesn’t change the fact that we did have an argument in the first place.” 

“No,” Bokuto said, “It doesn’t. But you need to go over there tomorrow with an open mind, and with the intent to fix this.” 

“Why would I do anything but that?” 

“I’m just saying,” Bokuto insisted, choosing his words carefully, “Be receptive to what he has to say. And make sure you’re able to fit in everything you want to say too.” 

Oikawa nodded silently, agreeing with what the alpha had to say. 

“Good,” Bokuto beamed, “Now I’m gonna heat up the leftover food, and we’re gonna sit on the couch and watch sea animal documentaries until we both pass out. Sound good?” 

Again, Oikawa nodded, because that really seemed to be the best solution to all of this. “Thank you, Koutarou.” 

Smiling, Bokuto stood up, smacking Tooru in the arm, “You’re not, and haven’t ever been in this alone. Remember that.”

Tooru watched Bokuto make his way into the kitchen, the omega feeling like he was finally able to breathe again. 

Somehow, those were the exact words he needed to hear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been wanting to introduce Kuroo for the LONGEST!! Ok if you've been following me since the beginning then you know me~ If Kuroo's here then...I'm sure you already know what that means ^^ *squeals excitedly* I'm really so fucking ready for what's next so please be excited!! 
> 
> (Very quickly and completed unrelated, if you're into bottom Kuroo I wrote a smutshot earlier this week in case anyone missed it) Anyway.
> 
> This chapter was kind of a whirlwind but like can I just say how much I love Mamoru? He's such a sweet, tender man. I love him so much. Such a good father *ugly sobbing* 
> 
> Ah for the BokuAka people, I know we haven't gotten to see their side in a while but it'll be happening soon. Gotta keep a proper flow and all of that. 
> 
> Last but not least we're soooo close to 2k omg I can feel it. Thank you to everyone who has liked, kudos, shared, recommended to their friends, drawn art, dropped me asks like it just--it's really what pushes me to keep doing what I'm doing. You guys are amazing. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading!! Please let me know what you think ^o^


	30. Chapter 30

The first thing Oikawa noticed about the man who answered the door was that he was stoic, but beautiful. Tall, for a beta. Which would have been the strangest thing about him, if he weren’t blonde, and if he didn’t have a bond mark claiming the side of his neck. 

Not that it wasn’t possible. But betas had a tendency to settle down with other betas. 

“You must be Oikawa-san.” 

Oikawa nodded, clearing his throat, “You must be Kuroo-san. Thank you for—”

The blonde smiled, shaking his head, “My husband is the one who spoke to you on the phone,” he motioned with his fingers, “Come on in.” 

The scent inside the apartment was enough to make Oikawa falter, even if it was just for a bit. Purifiers had been turned on, of course, but there was still a lingering undertone of _alpha_ that seemed to claim the entirety of the space. 

Goosebumps were just a natural reaction. 

The beta led him into the kitchen, where a tall alpha (not as tall as the blonde beta, but still) with a mess of black hair was standing, stirring something in a large pot. 

“Tetsurou.” 

The alpha seemed to jump slightly, grinning at the sight of his mate (and husband?) before his eyes fell on Oikawa. 

“Ah,” he wiped his hands on his pants, going up to meet them and extending a greeting, “Kuroo Tetsurou. Thank you for coming. It’s good to finally meet you.” 

“You as well,” Oikawa gave a polite nod of his head, giving an informal bow. 

“I’m surprised it took this long,” the blonde said smugly, crossing his arms, “Hajime doesn’t stop talking about you, after all.”

“Oh,” despite himself, Oikawa blushed, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. Did Iwa really talk about him that much? Not wanting to dwell on that though, Oikawa brought his attention back to the situation at hand. “I’m sorry,” he turned to the beta, “I don’t think I ever got your name.” 

“Tsukishima Kei,” he said easily, “Tsukishima is fine.” 

The alpha gave a low whine that was surprisingly playful to Oikawa’s ears. 

“But Tsukki!! You’re a Kuroo now!!” He grabbed the beta’s hands, shaking the one with the ring, “We took vows and everything!” 

The beta pulled his hands away, a small _tsk_ making itself heard, “I don’t wanna hear that from the one that’s still calling me _Tsukki,”_ he managed an eyeroll, “And I’m a _Tsukishima-_ Kuroo—”

“It’s still a _Kuroo—_ ”

“Tetsu,” Tsukishima sighed, bringing a hand up to his temple, opening his mouth to say something, but he never got to, because they were interrupted with a low growl of a yell. 

“Kei!!” Oikawa recognized the voice to be Iwa’s, “Where the hell did you put my—”

“In the top drawer,” Tsukishima shouted back, “Like it _should_ be—”

“It’s my fucking house would you stop moving shit around—” Finally the alpha came into view, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Oikawa. 

Oikawa blinked a few times, unsure if the man he was looking at was really Iwa. It was jarring to see, almost; the amount of stubble on his face, the dark, nearly purple circles under his eyes, the fact that he was dressed in a loose shirt and what Oikawa guessed to be a pair of gym shorts. 

It was a side to him that Oikawa didn’t really know existed. 

Without saying anything, Iwa turned back around, grumbling something about sticking noses where they don’t belong. 

Once he was gone, the blonde rolled his eyes, “He’s the actual worst when he’s in rut.” 

“Hey,” Kuroo defended, “Ruts are hard! Especially for him! And it’s your fault for moving his razor—”

“I’m trying to make his life easier,” Tsukishima defended, “He could at least show some gratitude—”

Oikawa cleared his throat, shifting his weight from foot to foot rather awkwardly. The two men turned to look at him, and Oikawa racked his brain to try to figure out something to say. He just wanted them to stop talking about Iwa. Because he didn’t like that twisting feeling his stomach was starting to feel. 

“Um, will he be ok?” 

“Oh yeah!” Kuroo hummed happily, “He’s probably just showering!” 

“Oh,” Oikawa nodded, managing to smile, “Right.” 

“We won’t be here long,” Tsukishima mentioned, noticing the omega’s unease, “As soon as the food’s done we’ll be out of your hair.” 

“It’s pretty much set,” Kuroo informed, “I think Iwa will be able to handle it from here.” 

Tsukki nodded, moving around with a familiarity that somehow bothered Oikawa, “I’ll go make sure he’s ok.” 

Kuroo grinned, glancing briefly at Oikawa, waiting patiently until the beta left the room before he decided to speak up again. 

“The food was done half an hour before you got here,” he admitted, “But the truth was we really wanted to meet you.” 

Oikawa licked his lips, a bubbly kind of laughter erupting from his throat. Somehow, he was glad Iwa had friends like this. “I’m sorry it had to happen under these circumstances.” 

“Nah,” Kuroo shrugged easily, waving him off, “Well I mean, I guess it’d be better if he weren’t coming off his rut,” he chuckled, “But beggars can’t be choosers, right?” 

Oikawa managed a small scoff, upon which Tsukishima entered the room again, gathering a bag off of one of the chairs. “He’ll be out in a bit, he’s just finishing his shower.” 

“We should get going then, babe.” Kuroo suggested, nodding his head. 

“Mmm,” Tsukishima agreed, smiling at Oikawa, “I hope this won’t be the last we see of each other.” 

“Yes,” Oikawa said politely, “Definitely.”

He closed the door behind them after they left, somewhat relieved that he could hear the shower still going. For some reason, it felt very strange to be in Iwa’s house like this. Especially after seeing how familiar Tsukishima and Kuroo were in the alpha’s house. 

Oikawa actually hadn’t been here very often. Two, maybe three times? And all very brief moments. He’d never even seen Iwa’s room. It wasn’t just feeling like an outsider.

He _was_ an outsider. 

Feeling his nerves start to get to him again, Oikawa walked over to the purifier, and cranked the dial up from 7 to 10. 

Maybe there were just too many pheromones flying about. 

He made his way back to the couch, fiddling with his fingers and trying to kill time.

Eventually, of course, the shower turned off, and it wasn’t much longer before Iwa finally came into the living room, freshly shaven and seemingly in order. 

He sat down on the opposite side of the couch, staring somewhat dumbly at Oikawa. 

“Hi,” he said.

He didn’t know why. But suddenly, Tooru wanted to yell at him. Wanted to scream and curse him out for not contacting him sooner. For having enough time to call Kuroo-san but not _him,_ for not saying anything when he first came out looking for his razor, for starting this stupid goddamn fight in the first place, for just being _awful_ —

But Oikawa didn’t say any of that. Didn’t yell, didn’t even really _speak,_ just kind of fell into Iwa’s chest, holding on to him, clutching at the back of his shirt with slightly trembling hands and a voice that almost never manifested. Because more than any of that: he was relieved.

“I thought you’d left,” he whispered.

Iwa hugged him back just as tightly, burying his face in the omega’s neck, “I’d never leave you.”

“I’m still really mad,” Oikawa clarified, hiding his face but still holding on, “There’s a lot we have to talk about.”

Iwa nodded, “The same goes for me.” 

That seemed to be enough to have tension coil around them, Oikawa stiffening as a result, cautiously pulling himself away. 

They might as well get everything out of the way now.

“I’ve been thinking a lot,” Oikawa said. 

Iwa nodded.

Oikawa looked at him curiously, pausing for a moment, “You don’t want to say anything first?”

Iwa considered that for a moment, before scrunching up his features, “I don’t think…” he began, “I really regret what I said.” 

“I don’t regret what I said either,” Oikawa replied indignantly, almost out of retaliation alone. 

Iwa gave a slight nod, “Okay…”

“Ok,” Oikawa swallowed, shifting anxiously in his seat. It was silent for a while. _Too_ silent for too _long_ a while, and Oikawa couldn’t take it anymore. 

“That said I—um—“ he trembled slightly, lowering his head, “I think maybe…compromise isn’t a bad thing…”

Iwa nodded, “Compromise is good.” 

Oikawa joined in the nodding. He licked his lips, not really knowing what to say. Because even though he was ready to apologize he kind of wanted Iwa to apologize first. 

“Eiji was asking for you,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, “He um…well he missed you.” 

A small smile tugged at the edge of the alpha’s lips, “I missed him too. I was kinda looking forward to tucking him in last week.” 

Oikawa’s breath got caught in his throat, the sharp inhale seeming to cut through him. That was annoying. Like Iwa was still seriously blaming him for all of this. Which wasn’t _wrong_ necessarily, Oikawa had realized, but it wasn’t exactly _right_ either. 

“I…” he struggled, trying to find the right words, “This is just—it’s been really hard for me. This kind of adjustment.” He paused for a moment, but then continued, “And I know that’s not fair for you. Because I know you’ve been more than patient. But when it comes to Eiji I’ve just been doing it on my own for so long that I don’t even know where to begin to draw lines, or if I should be drawing them in the first place because on the one hand I still feel like it’s too soon for that kind of thing, but I don’t know if that’s because we haven’t been dating very long or if I’ll just always feel this way because he’s my son but regardless of all of that I’m just—“ he cleared his throat, only now realizing how fast he’d been talking. That wasn’t good. He just had to get straight to the point. “I’m uncomfortable,” he clarified, “And I don’t know how to change that. Or if I should really have to.”

Iwa listened to it all, nodding seriously and then taking hold of Oikawa’s hand, brushing his thumb over the back of the omega’s palms. 

“I think the most important thing here is,” he looked up, meeting Oikawa’s gaze, “Whether you trust me or not.” 

Oikawa faltered for a moment, swallowing thickly, “I do trust you. But—”

“There’s no _buts_ in this Oikawa,” Iwa shook his head, eyes black and honest, “Do you trust me?” 

Oikawa could have lied. Could have lied easily and no one would have been the wiser. But Iwa seemed to be looking _through_ him, rather than _at_ him, and the truth just seemed to tumble out of his mouth. 

“No.” 

Iwa nodded, squeezing his hands, “Then that’s something we need to work on.” 

“It’s not because of you though,” Oikawa quickly added, “You haven’t done anything. This is just—for me—it’s really hard. Trust issues sounds so dramatic—and I don’t really wanna call it that—”

“I know,” Iwa smiled, as if that in itself were more than enough. 

Without really meaning to, Oikawa curled into the alpha again, settling his nose against Iwa’s scent glands, and bringing his long legs up against his chest, sinking into Iwa’s corner of the couch. Oikawa closed his eyes. 

“I can’t help the thought that one day your patience is gonna run out. And then it’ll be just me and Eiji again. Actually that’s—that’s kind of what this past week felt like. Like exactly what I keep thinking had been actualized. And I’m not an insecure person. I’m _not_ damnit but I just…” his voice trailed off, Oikawa never finishing that sentence. “I get that my fear doesn’t justify me yelling at you. But I’m not the only one who messed up. I’d just come off my heat and you were accusing me of all these things and your scent was just so _angry_ I’ve—I’ve never been so overwhelmed before. I couldn’t even give Eiji his milk that night.” 

“I’m sorry,” Iwa gave an apologetic brush of his cheek, “That one is on me. I should’ve realized sooner why I was in such a bad mood.” 

Oikawa shook his head, clutching at Iwa’s shirt again, “You should’ve. Heats are awful for me. And I know omegas always say that but my heats are actually terrible.” 

Iwa clung to him, holding on just as tightly as Oikawa had done before, “I know. I’m sorry. I have no idea how hard that must be for you and I’m not gonna pretend to try. And I get why you wanted me to leave, instead of trying to talk it out at that moment.” 

Oikawa closed his eyes again. “Why didn’t you call me?” 

“My rut hit that night,” Iwa explained, “I figured you still wanted time. And I wasn’t sure I could explain everything properly, so I just called Tetsu.”

“You could’ve sent a text, at least. I don’t pick up from foreign numbers—”

“I know, Kuroo told me he didn’t get a hold of you till last night.”

“A text would’ve taken 2 seconds,” the omega reasoned.

“I didn’t think text was appropriate. I wanted to call you but somehow a call felt—I didn’t know if you wanted to talk to me or if you even would’ve picked up the phone—”

“Iwa,” Oikawa said seriously, “You should have texted.”

The alpha nodded, bumping his head against Oikawa’s, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I should’ve done something to let you know.”

With a shaky inhale, Oikawa nodded.

They sat in silence for a long while, Iwa rubbing his hand up and down Tooru’s arm, Tooru silently breathing in the alpha’s scent. 

It was still calming. 

“You have good friends…” Oikawa began again, after a long bit, somewhat awkwardly, partially slurred from the way he was resting against Iwa. 

“We’ve been together since college,” Iwa explained. 

Oikawa nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bonded beta before…”

Iwa chuckled, snorting a bit, the alpha seemingly recalling a memory. It was enough to make Oikawa smile. 

“Yeah that’s—“ Iwa shook his head, “That didn’t come easy.” 

“Did he not like Kuroo-san in the beginning?” 

“Oh my god,” Iwa was grinning, adjusting himself on the couch though he still held Oikawa close, “Ok, now this is a fun story.” 

Oikawa adjusted himself along with Iwa, finding the alpha’s scent glands once more. 

“So Kuroo and I had an apartment. The neighborhood was starting to get better, so suddenly, our second year, they raise the price of rent. So we start looking for a third roommate. Figure it won’t be so bad, cuz two people will just have to bunk.”

Oikawa nodded lazily, smiling to himself. 

“So in comes Tsukishima. Literally says ‘I’m a beta so if you stay out of my way I’ll stay out of yours.’ He was studying economics and Kuroo and I were both on a sports scholarship so we figured we’d just never really see the kid. Anyway, everything’s good, I lost at rock paper scissors so I got stuck sharing my room. He didn’t talk much, so we figured everything would be fine. He even cleaned the apartment. He was kind of a neat freak but I mean he took care of everything for us so we weren’t about to say anything. But suddenly off season came, and our schedules just kinda happened to intertwine, so we were home together a lot.” 

“Okay,” Oikawa nodded again, urging him to keep going. 

“Tsukishima has a way of getting under your skin. And Kuroo likes pushing buttons as much as is humanly possible.” 

“So they got along well, then?” 

Iwa shook his head, “They _hated_ each other. Oh my god. One sassy remark after another, day in and day out.” 

Oikawa laughed, imagining the scene in his head, “That doesn’t sound like hatred to me. Honestly it sounds more like they were probably flirt—”

“Yeah, I know,” Iwa said grimly, again, his eyes flashing as if he were recalling a memory, “Really wish someone would’ve given me the heads up because next thing I know, they’re fucking in the middle of the living room.” 

Oikawa’s jaw dropped slightly, though it was quickly filled with laughter, the omega shaking his head and bringing a hand up to his mouth, “Oh my god.” 

“Yeah, that’s what _I_ said.” 

“I take it they roomed together after that,” Oikawa hummed. 

“Got the room back to myself so I’m not complaining,” Iwa chuckled, holding Oikawa close and brushing the omega’s cheek against his own, “I’m glad you finally got to meet them.” 

“Me too,” Oikawa returned the affection, “But how come you never talked about them? I wanna know about you too, you know.” 

Iwa shrugged, not really having an answer, “I don’t know,” he said, “It just never really came up. We’re usually in your sphere, anyway. I figured we’d just kind of merge eventually.” 

“Well see that’s a problem too!” Oikawa pointed out, “I don’t like saying this but I’m obviously selfish! You know me well enough by now to realize that, don’t you?” 

“Well, yeah—”

“Our spheres aren’t just going to magically _merge,”_ he made a motion with his hands, _“_ And I mean I get that part of it is my fault too of course but if you’re not willing to talk about yourself either then that’s something else we have to figure out.” 

Iwa opened his mouth but then quickly shut it, silently nodding his head. “Ok,” he said, “I guess—I’ve probably been messing that up for a while too.” 

“So worried about the walls I’m putting up you don’t even realize you have your own,” Oikawa rolled his eyes, pouting a little, but he quickly dropped it, because there wasn’t really a place for that right now. A more serious expression replaced the pout, sharpening his features as he looked Iwa dead on, “I’m really sorry. For never asking. You must think I don’t care about you at all. I mean I know you don’t. Which is kind of insane. I definitely would, if I were you. Actually I think if I were you I would have dumped me a long time ago—”

“Tooru,” Iwa spoked gently, tucking his knuckle under the omega’s chin, and giving him a sweet kiss. “I think we both have things we need to work on.” 

Quietly, with his heart fluttering sightly in his chest, Oikawa nodded, closing his eyes so that Iwa would kiss him again, to which the alpha happily obliged. 

“Are we ok now?” Oikawa whispered, hiding a bit behind his lashes. 

“I think we’re better than ok,” Iwa smiled, leaning back against the couch so that Oikawa could rest on his chest again. 

It was nice, cuddling like this. 

“Do you…” Iwa began, after a while, “Would you wanna go out with Kuroo and Tsukki some time? Get to know them better?” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa nodded, “I’d like that a lot.” 

Iwa strengthened his grip suddenly, holding him so tightly that Oikawa couldn’t breathe. 

_“I missed you.”_

The omega’s chest tightened, feeling his breath catch in his throat from the way Iwa had said it. He nodded, indulging being held like this, and indulging in the new soft scent Iwa was emitting, wrapping around him like a blanket, “I missed you too.”

“I’m so sorry you didn’t know what was going on until yesterday.” 

Somehow, Oikawa felt like he could exhale. He didn’t realize that he’d been waiting for that apology until Iwa said so.

“O-Oh,” he managed, “It’s…my fault too, I should’ve picked up—”

Iwa only held on tighter, “If it were me I would’ve gone crazy.” 

Oikawa nuzzled him, trying to ease the tension in the alpha’s hold, “I’m just glad you’re not dead. I really—I thought you were dead.” 

Iwa looked at him, eyes dark and boring through the omega, “I’d have found a way to contact you from the grave.” 

Oikawa burst out laughing, because Iwa said that way too seriously, “Oh my god—” but he stopped himself, because Iwa’s expression was unchanging, “You—“ he crinkled his features, “You’re serious!” 

“I can’t just go off and die without letting you know—”

Oikawa rolled his eyes, “You’d just be haunting at that point—“

“It wouldn’t be _haunting—_ ”

“Oh my god,” Oikawa laughed into his hand, “You’d be a stalker even in the afterlife—”

“Leave it to _you_ to bring that up now of all times. I’m being serious—”

Oikawa couldn’t stop giggling, pressing his lips against Iwa’s, “If you die you have to bring me a chocolate pudding. And you have to sign it as _Iwa-chan_.” 

The alpha made a face, “Why Iwa-chan?” 

“Because that’s how I’ll know it’s you! We’re making a pact right now—”

“Why can’t I just sign it as Hajime—”

“Because everyone _knows_ you’re called Hajime—“

“So like a code, is what you’re saying—”

“Exactly—”

“Got it,” Iwa said with a single nod, teeth latching onto Oikawa’s lips, “If you die, you owe _me_ a chocolate pudding, and you have to sign it as Tooru-kun.” 

“ _Kun_??” 

“If I get a _chan_ then you get a _kun_.” 

Smirking, Oikawa agreed to the terms, giving into Iwa’s kiss once more. 

“I’m guessing you have to pick up Eiji soon,” Iwa said, momentarily breaking their kiss. 

The omega shook his head, “I have some time.” 

“Yeah?” 

Oikawa kissed him, “Yeah.” 

Slowly, Iwa’s hands slid down Oikawa’s back, and Oikawa felt his skin prickling pleasantly at the touch. Without really meaning to, he purred.

Oikawa’d never really heard it before, but for some reason, at that moment, Iwa whined. His eyes widened with curiosity, “Iwa?” 

“That’s cheating, you know. Purring like that. I’m still on the tail end of my rut.”

Oikawa’s lips curled into a smile “Cheating? But I’m just happy.”

Iwa let his fangs hang from Oikawa’s lips as he groaned, “I can’t guarantee a lovey dovey makeup session right now.”

Oikawa clicked his tongue, managing an eye roll, “Maybe I don’t want one.” 

“I kinda do...” Iwa admitted. 

Oikawa kisses him sweetly, “Then, until you can’t hold out anymore.” 

Iwa returned the kiss, tightening his hold around Oikawa’s waist. “Then…I guess…” he seemed to consider something, and Oikawa looked at him, cocking his head. “What is it?” 

The alpha grinned, bumping his nose against the omega’s, “Wanna see my room?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Guys. I'm so happy I finally got to add in KuroTsukki <3 Ok time for my long ass author's notes:
> 
> We're not gonna see the bedroom action. I'm sorry, and I know, believe me I would've liked it too but it's not happening so don't get your hopes up too high lol. But remember, good things cum to those who wait~ I won't keep you guys thirsty for too long.
> 
> Update on my! life: sooo my marketing group this semester is WAY better than last. However it might be a little too good because we have this girl in there that sends wall to wall text messages reminding everyone to do their research and "when are we meeting?" "if we could have all this done by Friday" "just again, a quick reminder" and it's stressing me the fuck out cuz project ain't even due for three weeks. Calm your tits. Also Japanese is progressively getting more intense which I don't mind cuz I love learning languages but at the same time that comes with a lot of time and effort that I have to actually dedicate to studying. Which is why updates will continue to be spazzy, sorry DX. 
> 
> That aside, this story has over 600 subscribers so I'm assuming some of you speak Spanish? Even if you don't it's still a nice song. But "Todo Cambio" por Camila is like SO BokuAka I'm like screaming. It's just so them and I fucking love it so muchhhhhh. Give it a listen even if you can't understand XD Again, BokuAka will be returning shortly. 
> 
> Ok I think that's it. As always thank you all so much for all of your support, all the people who have stuck by it since the beginning, those of you who are commenting for the first time, the people that send me all the cute little asks on tumblr they seriously make my life XD Thank you all so much <3


	31. Chapter 31

Oikawa had his head resting against Iwa’s bare chest, enjoying the way it rose and fell, snuggling against the comfortable warmth the alpha had to offer. He murmured a little, wrapping his thighs a little tighter against Iwa’s. The pressure between his legs felt nice. So did the skin on skin contact.

“Comfortable?” Iwa asked, brushing a bit of hair away from Oikawa’s face. 

Oikawa nodded, humming to himself. He let Iwa nuzzle him, before speaking up again.

“So.” 

“So?” Iwa’s voice went up at the end, somewhat curious.

“I still don’t really get it,” Oikawa shifted slightly, craning his head a bit to look at Iwa, “How exactly did my pheromones trigger your rut? Because my heat was already over when I saw you. But you said you were in a bad mood since before—”

He stopped himself short, when he noticed that the alpha was blushing. Oikawa blinked in surprise, cocking his head curiously, “Iwa?” 

The alpha gave a little groan that was more from embarrassment than anything else. “It’s because—well I mean. You were so cuddly the days right before your heat—”

“I was—?”

Iwa nodded, “Like _way_ more than usual. And you smelled so fucking good. I mean you smell good now but,” he buried his nose in Oikawa’s hair, inhaling deeply, “I mean that was unreal.” 

It was now Oikawa who felt himself blushing, goosebumps rising all over his bare skin. “But that was a whole week before your rut hit—”

“Well it’s not like it happened all of a sudden,” Iwa reasoned, “I think what it was was that you just kind of disappeared. Like you had that _scent_ on you and then you were gone. So it just…kinda…” 

Realization made Oikawa’s ears burn, “Right,” Oikawa hummed, “The whole hunt and claim part of it—”

“Sorry,” Iwa exhaled bashfully, “Instinct, I guess. It’s always way stronger…for me…”

“Is that what you thought about then?” the omega adjusted again, tightening his hold on Iwa’s legs, pressing his lips to his neck, “Did you think about hunting me?” 

Iwa noticeably stiffened, and Oikawa couldn’t help but smirk. The alpha cleared his throat, trying to play it off, “During my rut, you mean?” 

For some reason, hearing Iwa say it out loud only made Oikawa embarrassed, despite the fact that he’d been the one to bring it up in the first place. “Sorry,” he shook his head, “You don’t have to answer that.” 

“I thought about knotting you,” Iwa answered bluntly, turning his head to look at Oikawa, “Every day.” 

Red filled Oikawa’s face up to the tip of his ears, the omega trying to turn his face away, “Don’t—Don’t just say it like that—“

Iwa grabbed his face though, bringing Oikawa in and speaking in between short kisses, “Knotting you—filling you with my cum—filling you with my _pups_ —”

“Iwa—“ Oikawa whimpered, “I-Iwa—”

“Sorry,” the alpha grumbled, bumping his forehead against Oikawa’s, cursing under his breath, “Fuck I’m horny again.”

Oikawa laughed out loud, nuzzling Iwa a bit before pulling him in for another kiss. “Do you want kids?” He asked, “Of your own, I mean.” 

“Mmm,” Iwa seemed to think about that for a bit, brushing his fingers up and down Oikawa’s arm, “I think that’d be nice. Eventually, I mean. Then Eiji would have a little brother.” 

With a click of his tongue, Oikawa made a face, “Life with two boys? I suppose you’d want him to be an alpha, too.” 

“I wouldn’t…particularly mind either way…” 

Oikawa stuck his tongue out, “Liar. All alphas want little alphas to follow in their footsteps.” 

“Ok, ok,” Iwa admitted, “I want an alpha. But I would love an omega just the same.” 

“I feel like if you had an omega you’d spoil them,” Oikawa snorted.

Iwa bumped his head gently, “If _we_ had an omega, you mean?” 

Oikawa swallowed somewhat awkwardly, nodding though he hated the heat he could feel in his cheeks. 

“Right.” 

“Come on,” Iwa encouraged, “It’s not that scary to say.” 

“It’s not…” Oikawa agreed. 

“I hear a _but_ in there.” 

Closing his eyes, Oikawa stole a quick peck from Iwa’s lips, speaking so quickly he hardly heard himself, “If _we_ had an omega you’d probably spoil him.” 

Iwa’s lips curled into a smile, “So you want a boy too?” 

“ _Him_ is just easier to say!” 

“Sure it is—”

“Honestly,” Oikawa admitted, “I’d have no idea what to do with a girl. How do you raise a girl? If she’s an omega that’s one thing but if she’s an alpha—I have no idea how that works.”

Iwa scrunched up his features, “Isn’t your mom an alpha?” 

“Oh god,” Oikawa paled, “That’d just give her even _more_ reason to interfere—”

The alpha chuckled openly at that, nuzzling Oikawa and relaxing in comfort against the sheets. “That’s a nice thought,” he said, smiling. 

“An alpha daughter?” 

Iwa shook his head, “Just having kids with you in general.” 

Oikawa buried his nose in the alpha’s neck, “Has anyone ever told you you’re really blunt?” 

“I’ve been told a couple times,” Iwa nodded, “Mostly by you.” 

“Actually, what’re your parents like?” Oikawa said suddenly, “You never talk about them. And they weren’t here on New Years.”

“My parents?” Iwa was silent for a moment, the alpha looking like he was thinking.

Oikawa bit his tongue, because maybe that was a sensitive topic. “Oh, sorry,” he stammered, “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to—”

“Oh, no, no it’s not like that,” Iwa gave an easy smile, “They’re in Kyushu so it’s just hard for us to see each other often. I came up to Tokyo for University and just never left. But I try to go back when I can.” 

“Oh,” Oikawa nodded, “I see.” 

Iwa gave another smile, “As for what they’re like…mmm…my mom’s kind of like yours. I think she nags a bit more though. I’m an alpha too so we butt heads a lot. When I was little she was always tugging me by the ear for making a mess or being too loud,” Iwa chuckled while he explained, and Oikawa found himself smiling as well. 

“Young alphas are incredibly rambunctious.” 

“Right?” Iwa grinned, “But my dad was kinda the same as me. Really scary when he wanted to be, though. Holy shit like you haven’t known fear till you’re facing my dad head on.” 

Oikawa giggled, “I can imagine. Especially since you’re all pack leaders.”

“Yeah that’s…that’s kind of interesting in its own right.” 

“I wanna know more about that,” Oikawa said, “Not like, right now or anything but—I want to know more about you.” 

“Yeah,” Iwa kissed his cheek, “I’d like that.” 

They nuzzled for a bit, before Oikawa suddenly shifted again, climbing on top of Iwa, so that their chestswere up against each other, Oikawa propping his chin up with his hands, “Wait,” he locked eyes with the alpha, holding a serious expression, “I just thought of something else.”

Iwa lifted an eyebrow, asking him what was wrong.

“Does that mean—sorry, going back to the rut thing—does that mean we’re going to sync up soon?”

Iwa noticeably hardened beneath him, and Oikawa had to bite back the whine that formed in his throat. He couldn’t do anything about the shivers that raced down his spine, though. 

“Don’t get hard from that!” 

“Tell me how I’m _not_ supposed to get hard hearing that??” 

“No because,” Oikawa hid his face, “Now I’m hard. We can’t go again—I don’t have time—”

“So just stay like this,” Iwa wrapped his arm around Oikawa’s back, tangling their legs up again, the two of them sharing a moan when their heat rubbed together. 

Oikawa couldn’t help the stupid giggle he did. 

“Ok well, that aside—we were talking about kids—can we talk about Eiji?”

“You didn’t answer my question though,” Oikawa gave a slight pout, his eyes widening. 

“What?”

The omega leaned in, taking the alpha’s bottom lip between his teeth, “Will we sync up soon?”

Oikawa felt the deliciously warm pulse that throbbed against his thigh, the omega fighting any and all urges to purr. It didn’t work though, because the little vibrations of pleasure hummed in his throat regardless.

“God I fucking hope so,” Iwa growled, pulling him into a kiss that Oikawa laughed into, softly bucking his hips to try and relieve the tension the two of them had pointlessly created. 

There were a few more kisses in between, before they got a hold of themselves again, calming down enough to keep on with their pillow talk. 

“What were you saying about Eiji?” Oikawa asked, on his side again, resting against Iwa’s shoulder. 

“Well I was thinking,” Iwa began, brushing his hands over Oikawa’s shoulder, “Would it be ok if I did tuck him in? Not just me, obviously, I mean us together. Because sometimes you let me and sometimes you don’t.” 

Oikawa nodded somewhat guiltily. “I don’t…really want that happening all the time yet. But you’re not really at my house that late very often, so…” his voice trailed off, trying to think of an answer, “You can tuck him in,” he said, “When you’re at my house around that time. But milk time is still just him and me.” 

Iwa nodded, “I can respect that—” 

“E-Even if things go really well and we get married and have like thirty pups or something—milk time is—it’ll still be just him and me.” 

“Ok,” Iwa nuzzled him, “I don’t have any problems with that.” 

A soft purr hummed in Oikawa’s throat, nuzzling the alpha back. “Um, but I was thinking,” he said, “Along those lines, I mean…” 

“Yeah?” 

“Well, what time do you get off work? Because I was thinking maybe you could start picking Eiji up from daycare a few times a week. That way you guys can have some time that’s just for you too.” 

“I’d have enough time,” Iwa said, “I mean if he doesn’t mind me bringing him to my practices. But for now it’s fine since I won’t be coaching for a bit.” 

Oikawa crinkled his features, “How come?” 

Iwa blinked, “It’s winter.” 

“Do you not practice in winter?” 

“In this cold? Are you crazy? There’s still snow outside.” 

Oikawa lowered his head, trying to hide his embarrassment, “Oh.” 

Iwa nudged him, “What?”

“No, I just—I feel kinda stupid now.” 

“What is it?” 

A little groan tugged at Oikawa’s throat, the omega rolling over, “I thought—well when I didn’t see you at the park, I thought you were avoiding me. I didn’t really think of…”

Iwa laughed, pulling him in and hugging him, so that his chest was against Oikawa’s back, and he could properly scent the omega’s glands. “That’s really cute—”

“It’s _not_ cute! I was seriously worried—”

“I know but,” Iwa held him close, the low rumble of the alpha’s purrs starting in his chest, “Somehow that makes me really happy.” 

Oikawa relaxed in his hold, thinking he could really fall asleep like this. 

But that’d be bad. Because he still had to pick up Eiji from his mom’s. But he figured it was fine if he indulged a bit and stayed like this just a little longer, taking the opportunity to finally look around Iwa’s room. 

The alpha was a minimalist, for the most part. Nothing but the bare necessities, and very little that gave way to his personality. Minus the giant godzilla poster that hung framed by the door, of course. For some reason, it made Oikawa smile. 

“You really like Godzilla, huh?” 

The alpha perked his head up, following Oikawa’s gaze to the poster. “It was my movie, when I was a kid.” 

“Your movie?” 

Iwa nodded, nuzzling into Oikawa again, “You know how Eiji watches Cars over and over and over again without getting tired of it?” 

“Ah,” Oikawa nodded, “I see.” 

“Mhm. For me it was Godzilla. I got that poster back in high school but I wasn’t able to properly frame it till recently.” 

“That’s nice that you finally got to,” the omega smiled, “It sure looks fancy.” 

“It better,” Iwa grunted, “That thing cost me like five paychecks.” 

Oikawa laughed, realizing he’d actually been laughing quite a bit, that he kind of always laughed, whenever he was with Iwa. He closed his eyes, smiling softly to himself while he inhaled the calming scent that was Iwa. 

It was nice, like this. 

But he really had to get going soon.

“I should…get dressed,” Oikawa said after a bit, though he had no intention of moving.

“Mm,” Iwa agreed, but didn’t make any effort move either, just kinda shifted slightly, arms still wrapped around the front of Oikawa’s stomach. 

At this rate, Oikawa thought, he wouldn’t ever be able to leave.

* * *

 

It was only a few days after that, that Iwa was back in Oikawa’s apartment, visiting him as usual. He’d followed Oikawa inside, like always, time helping him to forget _just_ how excited Eiji got about things.

“Mr. Iwa!!!” Eiji had run up to him the moment he stepped into the kitchen, the young alpha jumping up and down, “You’re back you’re back!!” 

Oikawa gave them their space, heading over to the fridge so that he could get some water.

“Hey little man,” Iwa bent down so he could give him a quick hug, “Missed you—”

“Mommy said you were busy with work but then Mommy said that the stuff from before was a lie and that you were actually in rut and that since you’re a special alpha you have really long ruts!!” 

Iwa paled slightly, wondering just how much of that was necessary to explain to Eiji. But he wasn’t allowed to dwell on it, because Eiji was tugging at his sleeves.

“What’s up?” 

“Is it because you’re super strong, so your ruts are super long?” 

He wasn’t sure how to answer that, but that seemed like a good enough connection, so Iwa just went with it, “That’s kind of the gist of it—” 

“Wow!” Eiji’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ shape, “Mommy! I want super long ruts too!” 

Oikawa choked on his water, Iwa laughing and ruffling up Eiji’s hair, “I think normal ruts are better, Eiji. Trust me.” 

“That’s enough of that,” Oikawa said, clapping his hands, “We invited Mr. Iwa over to watch a movie, didn’t we?”

“Cars!!!”

“Actually,” Oikawa said, stopping him right there, crouching down on his knees so that he could talk to Eiji more easily, “Mr. Iwa told me about a movie he thinks you’ll really like.” 

Eiji’s eyes were sparkling, lighting up with curiosity. Iwa, however, stood there looking dumb, because he didn’t remember recommending a movie to Oikawa at all. The omega reached into his bag, pulling out a blu-ray with a growling godzilla on it, and showing it to Eiji. 

“It’s been digitally remastered,” Oikawa smiled, looking up at Iwa, “It was the only version I could find that’d play on my set though. I hope it’s ok.” 

“Mommy!!” Eiji jumped up excitedly, “Is that a dinosaur!?”

Oikawa let Eiji have the disc, so that the young alpha could investigate it. 

“I think he’s a lizard,” Oikawa explained, “It’d be better to ask Mr. Iwa.” 

Eiji was already tugging at Iwa’s hands and pulling him towards the couch, his eyes glued on the blu-ray cover. “What’s it about? Does he fight other dinosaurs? Does he eat _people??”_

Iwa chuckled while he tried to explain everything, Oikawa finally managing to pry the disc from Eiji’s hands so that he could pop it into the television. He joined the two excited alphas on the couch, sitting opposite Iwa so that Eiji was settled right between them. 

“Thank you,” Iwa said, nodding at Oikawa with a smile that made the omega’s heart race. 

“Yeah,” Oikawa hid behind his lashes, biting back his own smile as he reached for the remote, “No problem.” 

If it were small things like these, then Oikawa could manage at least that much. After all, when it came to Iwa, he really did want to know more. But in order to know more then he had to try. And it was just like his dad said. 

Tooru just had to meet Iwa in the middle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lord. Ok I'm like irritated at the length of my own authors notes so I'll try and keep it short this time lol.
> 
> Update on my!life: MY BOYFRIEND STARTED READING THIS STORY! He even read through the smut chapters even though I told him to skip them and hnggg. He's so supportive guys I'm so blessed DX. So *waves* hi babe, happy update day. That aside holy shit this semester sucks ass lmao. I have homework in every class and as a literature major I'm offended. 
> 
> As always, comments are very much appreciated, and don't forget to click on that kudos button ;) Happy weekend all!


	32. Chapter 32

Bokuto had been instructed to show up around six or so. Formal attire was preferred but not necessary, apparently,but to play it safe he just went with a button down and a simple tie. He’d never really been to an exhibition like this before so he wasn’t sure what to expect. 

But something he hadn’t expected was to walk into an empty studio. Nor had he expected to walk into Akaashi looking the way he did. The way his milk white thighs were exposed with those tight, little shorts (they _were_ shorts, right? It looked more like underwear in Bokuto’s opinion), the omega’s toned stomach framed by a cropped tank that hung rather loosely on his shoulders, the word _Wet_ plastered across his chest, and some of the highest heels Bokuto had ever seen in his life. All of it in a beautiful, _beautiful_ black that screamed out against the rich white of Akaashi’s skin. 

The omega was standing behind a single, foldable chair, his hands resting against the back. 

Bokuto wanted to touch. 

Fuck, he was already half hard, and the dance hadn’t even started yet. Licking his lips to keep from drooling, he called out to the omega. 

“Are you ready for your private performance?” The omega cocked his head, smiling. 

Sharp shivers coursed through Bokuto’s body, making him tremble pleasantly. “P-Private?” His voice was hoarse. 

Akaashi made his way over to him, his heels making sharp _clicks!_ with each and every step, his legs accentuated beautifully by the heels. He was taller than Bokuto, in those heels. 

Was it normal to be turned on by that?

“Terushima pulled some strings,” Akaashi purred, lightly brushing his fingers over Bokuto’s arms, and Bokuto noticed the omega had makeup on as well. He didn’t know how or what it was called, but there was a thick black line over his eyes, sharpening them in a way Bokuto didn’t know was possible, a beautiful mix of purple and black highlighting the grey of the omega’s eyes. 

“S-Strings,” Bokuto managed, swallowing thickly.

“Mhm,” Akaashi nodded, “So we have the studio all to ourselves. Won’t you sit down?” He flashed the kind of smile that made Bokuto think the omega would’ve made one hell of a host. 

He let Akaashi lead him towards the chair, where Bokuto sat down obediently, anxiously waiting for whatever might come his way next. 

“No touching unless I touch you,” Akaashi smiled, sliding Bokuto’s tie through his palm, “Ok?” 

Bokuto had no idea if he could manage that or not, but he nodded regardless, eagerly licking his lips for the third time. 

Somehow (maybe Akaashi did something or other, Bokuto didn’t know) the lights suddenly changed, bright pinks and a deep purple setting the stage for Akaashi’s pole, the music starting at a low hum in his ears that quickly escalated, Bokuto’s heart racing in rhythm. 

Akaashi began by walking around the pole a few times, and Bokuto realized that the back half of those shorts were made of lace, rather than normal fabric. It was all he seemed to be able to focus on, as Akaashi began sliding down and then pushing back up with his ass against the metal, in full view of Bokuto. That alone already had the alpha’s blood rushing. 

But then Akaashi stepped away from the pole, hand tracing his lips and then dragging down his chest, hips moving all the while in time to the music, Bokuto catching the lyrics for something about _unfair_ and _staring_ and _hell_ if that wasn’t accurate, the cursive of Akaashi’s shirt seeming to taunt the alpha, Bokuto wanting nothing more than to drench the omega in more ways than one. 

But by now Akaashi had a hold of the pole again, rolling his body up against it, Bokuto thinking that he’d much rather take the place of that pole, what with the way the omega’s hips were moving against it. 

And that was when Akaashi _really_ started to move. Horniness aside, Bokuto had never seen anything like it. In the brief intervals where the alpha’s brain still happened to be working, Bokuto wondered how the omega was managing all these things on pencil-thin stilettos (they were called stilettos, right?) and such tight fitting shorts.

But all of that flew out the window when Akaashi actually started moving _up_ the pole, and Bokuto had no idea how something like that was even physically possible when it barely looked like the omega was touching the pole at all, but _fuck_ if the view wasn’t nice, his toned thighs all clenched, Akaashi spinning round, his legs not even touching anything, as if he were floating on air. And then before Bokuto even realized, Akaashi had gotten into a new position, legs spreading apart, one lifting up behind him, perfectly vertical in midair, legs looking something like wings as they spread out behind him, part of the omega’s top riding up in the process, bright pink nipples exposed for a brief moment, before Akaashi brought his legs back in and spun himself around a few more times.

It was becoming a little difficult to breathe. 

Especially when Akaashi worked the pole so torturously slow, legs at a slant, getting closer and closer to the ground, until Bokuto thought he’d actually fall, but the omega just flipped around, letting his back hit the ground and then glancing right at Bokuto, spreading his legs out like an offering, sitting back up so that he was locking eyes with the alpha, legs spreading further and further apart, Akaashi bouncing against his butt a bit as he completed spreading his legs into a perfect split. 

Bokuto knew the omega was flexible.

Just not… _that_ flexible. 

He bit back a low whine, shifting a bit in the chair that had suddenly become incredibly uncomfortable, especially from the way Akaashi was looking at him now, with that dangerously playful smile, and those terrifyingly sharp eyes that started to shine when the omega began crawling towards him, Bokuto’s heart still pounding with the music against his quickly tightening chest. 

With no warning, Akaashi placed his palms on Bokuto’s knees, forcing the alpha’s legs apart, and using them as leverage to get back up, his body rolling provocatively right in front of the alpha’s lap. It took all Bokuto had to not reach out to him, to not grab him and fuck him into tomorrow, but he stayed still, because more than anything else he wanted to see what Akaashi would do, the omega tugging at his tie in a teasing manner, before he turned around, bending forward so that Bokuto was granted the best view of the omega’s ass he’d ever gotten. 

Lace was a wonderful thing.

Slowly, Akaashi snapped back up, grabbing hold of Bokuto’s knees and pushing them back together again, providing a platform Akaashi could sit down on, the omega throwing his head back against the alpha’s shoulder, quickly kissing Bokuto’s cheek and then thossing his hand up to signal the end of the song. 

It all happened so fast it took Bokuto a moment to realize that the music was no longer pounding in his ears, and that it was just his rapid heartbeat. 

Akaashi was panting above him, chest rising and falling, as he looked at Bokuto expectantly, a half smile formed on his lips. “What did—“ he inhaled, cheeks pink and rosy from the workout, “What did you think?” 

Bokuto couldn’t come up with a coherent enough answer, so he just wrapped his arm around Akaashi’s waist, and pulled him up against his lap so that his pulsing cock could answer for him. He couldn’t exactly hold back from burying himself into Akaashi’s neck, taking in the sweet scent of sweat and growling against the omega’s skin.

Akaashi giggled, “I take it you liked—”

His voice cut off as his body shuddered, Bokuto having dragged his hand up Akaashi’s torso,the alpha slipping his fingers under the loose shirt, reveling in how smooth the skin was, when it was coated in a thin layer of sweat like that. Akaashi couldn’t help but tense, a whine already starting to form in his throat.

“Bokuto—”

“You said we have the studio all to ourselves?” 

Shivers ran down Akaashi’s spine, the omega giving a quick nod. He’d never heard Bokuto’s voice go that low. 

His lips were caught in an instant, Akaashi hardly able to hold Bokuto back, the alpha already palming Akaashi through his shorts, grabbing at his thighs and _squeezing,_ Akaashi not recognizing the mewl of a sound that parted his lips. 

“I—” his kissed the alpha, moaning slightly, “I’ll shower, real quick—”

He made to get up, but Bokuto held him down, grinding against his hips, “Shower?” 

With shaky breaths that fanned onto the alpha’s lips, Akaashi nodded, trying to shift in his hold, “I’m—sweaty—”

Bokuto licked his neck, dragging his tongue all across the skin, “I know—”

“Bokuto—“

He licked again, moaning and moving on to suckle the omega’s glands, Akaashi melting in his hold. He whimpered. “Bo-Bokuto—”

The alpha picked him up, without a single ounce of trouble, Akaashi going up in one simple motion, feeling as light as air in Bokuto’s arms. Laughter caught in his throat, “Bokuto!” 

“I’ll fuck you standing—”

“You can’t—!”

The alpha _growled,_ tightening his hold against Akaashi’s thighs, and Akaashi mewled again, quickly trying to explain that they couldn’t dirty the studio, but Bokuto just growled at him again, _squeezing_ him—

“Then—fuck—” Bokuto caught Akaashi’s lips with his teeth, “Where are the showers?” 

Akaashi giggled into his mouth, pointing in one general direction or another, but that was all Bokuto really needed, stumbling through the studio and pushing through a door, Akaashi laughing in his ears and telling him that that was a _closet,_ muttering something or other about how he could walk on his own but _fuck that_ Bokuto wasn’t letting go, just stumbled on through until he found the changing rooms, slamming Akaashi against some lockers and _finally_ grinding up against him, reveling from the way the omega was smiling into his mouth. 

“Did you—like it—that much?” Akaashi panted between kisses, holding himself up by locking his legs around Bokuto’s waist, bringing his hands up to cup the alpha’s cheeks.

Bokuto dragged his hands up the omega’s skin again, lifting the shirt up with him, “ _Loved_ it—”

“I’ve never—” the omega _moaned,_ “I’ve never danced for anyone—before—”

“Dance for me again—” Bokuto grunted, tugging at his lips again, “Again, Akaashi—”

“We’re doing chair dances—next week—”

“Perfect,” Bokuto said, though he had no idea what that really meant, “Show me that too—”

Quickly the omega nodded, grabbing the alpha by the face again, “Yeah—I‘will—“ it was cut off by another moan, Akaashi tossing his head so far back his head hit the lockers, Bokuto grinding into him desperately. 

“Condom—” Akaashi begged, “Bokuto—”

“Pocket—”

The omega smirked, licking his lips, “That prepared, were you?” 

“Would you rather I wasn’t?” 

Akaashi unlocked his legs, letting them drop, his heels clicking against the floor as he shoved his hand down Bokuto’s back pocket, pulling the condom out between two slim fingers, but not before pressing himself against the alpha’s heat, whimpering at how hard it felt. 

“Wanna put it on me?” 

The omega was already crouching down, playful eyes looking up at the alpha, kissing him through his pants. 

“Can I taste?” 

Bokuto shook his head, whining a bit, “Not today Akaashi—”

“You want me that bad?” He had the nerve to bite his lip. 

The alpha did him the favor of unbuttoning his own pants, letting his erection spring free, “You can’t tell?” 

Akaashi didn’t really care—just went right for it, taking Bokuto into his mouth and rubbing the alpha’s tip with the roof of his mouth, moaning and purring in pleasure, his eyes rolling back from how thick and heavy the alpha felt in his mouth. 

“Fuck—Akaashi—”

Fingers curled around Akaashi’s hair, Bokuto granting him heated thrusts, choking him blind, his eyes watering so much it spilled out over his cheeks, and for a brief moment Akaashi thanked his past self for going with the waterproof mascara. 

“Fuck you’re so pretty when you’re crying,” Bokuto kept on with his rough thrusts, though the alpha was whining a bit, tightening his grip against the back of Akaashi’s head, “Fuck— _fuck_ Akaashi—“ but suddenly those hands were pulling him away, Bokuto’s eyes darkening over with desire, and when he was literally looking down on Akaashi like that the omega couldn’t help but feel his own cock twitch in response. 

“Bokuto—”

“Condom—” Bokuto nodded down at him, “ _Please—“_

Smirking to himself again, Akaashi freed the condom from its package, slipping it onto Bokuto with his mouth. The alpha shuddered at each motion. 

“I still hate that you know how to do that—“

“You don’t like it?” Akaashi feigned innocence, straightening as he looked at the alpha with wide eyes. 

“You know I love it,” Bokuto met him with a harsh kiss, Akaashi moaning into his mouth as he tossed his arms around Bokuto’s shoulders, letting his hands roam over the alpha’s biceps, feeling his blood rush at the touch. 

“Then?” 

“ _Dammit Akaashi—”_

He was picked up again, Akaashi gasping at how sudden it was, Bokuto reaching around his ass, palming him through the lace and pushing a finger up against the fabric. A whine parted the omega’s lips, though he wrapped his legs around Bokuto’s waist just the same. 

“Becaue you didn’t learn it from me—” 

The most pleasant of shivers ran down Akaashi’s spine, especially from the way Bokuto was fingering him through his soaked underwear, the alpha groaning something about if these were even considered shorts, Bokuto walking them deeper into the locker room, because it seemed that the further in they went, the more Akaashi’s moans would echo, which Bokuto seemed to deeply enjoy.

But Akaashi was growing rather impatient with all of this, clawing at the alpha’s shirt and pulling at his tie, wanting to feel skin. 

Bokuto just smirked into his mouth, “Now who’s the impatient one—”

“Bokuto—”

The alpha just pushed the fabric of Akaashi’s underwear-shorts aside, and pushed his way in with a single thrust, Akaashi clenching around him in more ways than one, screaming and spilling into his shorts the moment he felt his alpha’s heat. He clung to Bokuto’s back, biting at the alpha’s shoulder to keep his moans from getting to be too much. But his head was already a mess, and the sudden burst of vanilla that invaded his senses certainly wasn’t helping. 

“Did—Did you—”

Akaashi murmured a weak reply, unable to handle much more than that, but it didn’t really matter, because Bokuto started thrusting into him, pumping and growling as he gripped at the lockers, “ _Fuck_ I love how sensitive you are.” 

“More,” Akaashi whimpered, practically _begging,_ “M-More, Alpha—”

“I’ll give you more,” Bokuto assured with such a low growl that Akaashi’s mind was nearly sent reeling again, Bokuto lapping at his scent glands, claiming him through the scent, the omega’s legs going weak. Without wanting to, they unwrapped, falling limp at Bokuto’s side. 

The alpha didn’t let them fall completely, just used the wall as leverage, holding Akaashi’s thighs up while he pumped into him, barking at the omega to lift his shirt up. 

Akaashi managed as best he could, for a moment wanting to ask why, but the moment he did, Bokuto just lifted him higher, stopping with his thrusts for a moment so that he could suckle the omega’s nipples. 

Happy little squeals bubbled up in Akaashi’s throat, and the omega kicked his legs in the coursing pleasure that it gave him, mewling and begging Bokuto to move and suck at the same time, because it felt so good when he did that, so _so_ good, and Akaashi wanted to feel it, just a little, wanted to feel his alpha’s cock pounding into him while the alpha enjoyed his chest, and—

“I can’t understand when you’re whining that much,” Bokuto moved up to his neck to nuzzle him briefly, biting just beneath the omega’s ear, “Does it feel good, Akaashi?” 

“M-More—“

“More?” 

Choked little sobs cut his reply, Akaashi shaking his head and squeezing his arms around Bokuto’s neck.

“Akaashi??” Bokuto panicked for a moment, because he wasn’t sure if Akaashi was really crying, or if maybe he’d crossed a line of some sort—

“ _Koutarou!”_ Akaashi kept on in that same choked voice, desperation chopping his words, “More—fuck me—“ he rolled his hips as best he could, “I want to cum again—”

Akaashi didn’t know what happened, but suddenly it felt like he was moving through the air, before his back hit another wall, but it was cooler this time, like tile, almost, and Bokuto’s scent was taking complete control of his senses, the alpha finally giving him the thrusts Akaashi so desperately needed.

“Say my name again—”

“Ko-Koutarou—”

_“Keiji—”_

Shudders ran through Akaashi, all the way down to the tips of his toes, making them curl in want and need and everything that Bokuto was currently giving him.

“Koutarou—“ he tried again, “Koutarou—More—Once more—please—”

Bokuto glanced at him, slowing his thrusts just a bit, enough to kiss the omega properly on the mouth, making full use of his tongue, holding Akaashi’s hostage and letting their moans overlap, Bokuto making it as slow and as sensual as possible. He littered kisses all the way down Akaashi’s neck, and then back up again, breathing softly into his ear, before letting out a low growl that made Akaashi’s head spin. 

_“Keiji.”_

That was all it seemed to take for the omega to _break,_ letting out the most beautiful sounds as he found his orgasm, his hands trying to find something to hold onto—finding it—a metal bar of some sort, strong and cold in his fingers, just something he could squeeze while he rode out— 

The bar swung down and Akaashi nearly fell down with it, the rush of water spraying over them and drenching them both, Bokuto’s expression somewhat scary as he hovered over him, Akaashi biting his lip to keep from laughing. Even if his orgasm had been cut short, it’d still managed to give him enough of a high.

So he couldn’t really help it, when he started to laugh. He tried to keep it at a hushed giggle, though, letting his legs drop, and allowing the alpha to slowly slip out of him. 

He hummed to himself, “Talk about a climax…” he staggered slightly, his legs weak and the heels not helping, Bokuto holding him up by the arm so he wouldn’t fall. At the very least, Akaashi had enough sense to turn the water off. 

“Akaashi...” 

Immediately, the omega’s ears perked up, and he turned around. He’d never heard such a broken sound from the alpha before. But when he looked at Bokuto it was obvious enough to know what that sound meant. Bokuto’s eyes still dark and dilated, his cock throbbing painfully between his legs, and truly, though the water had been an interruption, it did wonders for Bokuto’s dress shirt, which was now completely transparent, the alpha’s muscles bulging through the fabric. 

Biting his lip, Akaashi put his hand on Bokuto’s cheek, bumping his nose against the alpha’s. In the politest speech he could muster, he brushed his lips against Bokuto’s, speaking the request into the alpha’s mouth, “Won’t you mount me?” 

Calling it a rush was too much of an understatement, but Akaashi wouldn’t have known how else to describe it, when the alpha pushed him onto all fours, grinding him so hard Akaashi sunk down to his stomach, _screaming,_ embarrassed at how his own voice carried in the showers but at the same time not really caring, because he could feel Bokuto’s knot starting to swell, and that was starting to turn his head into a mess all over again, despite the fact that the wet floor was somewhat unpleasant, but who could give that any thought, when he was being filled and stretched and _pounded_ into, the alpha showing his rougher side.

Especially when the alpha started squeezing Akaashi’s ass, commenting on the lace, muttering something or other that Akaashi didn’t quite catch, but suddenly Akaashi was being flipped over, and he was facing Bokuto again, the alpha granting him a few more thrusts before he pulled out, squeezing his own knot and ripping off the condom, spilling all over Akaashi’s shirt and chest, before collapsing right beside him.

It was scary, how the warmth of the alpha’s seed had almost been enough to make Akaashi cum a third time. It took him a bit, looking over at the panting alpha, before he realized how strange the action was, because Bokuto was always very keen on cumming inside. 

With a soft whimper, Akaashi licked his lips, wondering if maybe he did something wrong. 

“Why didn’t you—” he paused, “I mean, why—not inside?” 

Bokuto tossed his arm over his head so that he wouldn’t have to look at Akaashi, his chest still rising and falling, “—aim you…sorry—”

Akaashi cocked his head, “Bokuto?” 

“I wanted to claim you. I wanted it on your face but—sorry that’s—that’s something I should’ve asked first—”

Akaashi rolled onto his stomach, so that he could let his head rest against Bokuto’s shoulder, curling into the alpha and letting out a soft purr, “I don’t mind that.” 

The alpha noticeably tensed, Bokuto’s voice nothing but a soft whisper, _“You’re going to kill me…”_

Akaashi laughed out loud at that, about to say something, but it was cut off with a sneeze. 

Bokuto’s reaction was immediate. “Shit, we can’t stay like this. You’ll catch a cold—”

“Oh, I’ll be—”

“No,” Bokuto shook his head, “We gotta get you changed. Do you have a separate set of clothes you can change into?” 

Nodding, Akaashi began getting up, wiping at the semen off his stomach, and then turning on the faucet again to wash it away. “I have a spare set of clothes in my bag. But what about you—”

Shaking his head, Bokuto waved his worry away, “They say idiots don’t catch colds, so I’m good.”

“Bokuto,” Akaashi scolded him lightly, heading towards his locker. Though he staggered slightly, the heels not pairing well with his wobbly legs. Bokuto helped guide him.

“Regardless,” Akaashi said, “You can’t ride the train like that.” 

“We could call a cab maybe?” 

The omega thought about that, “I have a towel. We could put it over the seat, maybe?” 

“Yeah, that works!” Bokuto beamed, nuzzling the omega. 

Akaashi nuzzled him back, before leaning in, so that Bokuto could kiss him. The alpha happily obliged, though he began chuckling to himself.

“What?” Akaashi asked.

“Your shirt,” Bokuto bumped his nose against the omega’s, “Not sure that was the _wet_ you were going for.” 

Pursing his lips, Akaashi tried to keep from smiling, “How very funny of you.” 

“Do you think I’m funny?” Bokuto asked, hooking his arm around Akaashi’s waist, and leaning in again for another kiss.

“I do…” Akaashi replied, though he quickly turned away again to sneeze, and that seemed to be the end of that, because Bokuto switched into protective alpha mode, going off about how Akaashi definitely had to change out of those wet clothes _now_ so that they could hurry up and get him into a hot bath. 

Somewhat reluctantly, Akaashi agreed. It filled his chest with warmth, knowing he was so deeply cared about. He’d never really known this feeling was possible. But regardless of that all, he changed as quickly as he could, so that they could get home as soon as possible. 

Because if Bokuto wanted Akaashi to take a bath, then surely he’d join him, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thirst: Quenched. Or did I just make you all even thirstier? Hmm...
> 
> You guys I am DYING to see Akaashi dance on a pole omgggg. And in heels??? RIP.
> 
> A HUGE shoutout to those who helped me pick out the phrase on Akaashi's shirt. I think it worked out rather beautifully especially considering the shower situation haha. I will definitely be doing more polls in the future because they're lots of fun ^o^ 
> 
> Update on my! life: It's been a crazy week! So much to do but I managed to get everything under control. For now. Kinda. More importantly, not many of you know but I had some mixups with my transcripts and basically it was like stressful as hell because if they couldn't find them then I wouldn't have been able to graduate but IT GOT RESOLVED. I'M GRADUATING THIS SEMESTER. It's honestly a huge burden off my shoulders so I'll be in much better spirits finishing off my final semester haha. 
> 
> In any case, I hope you all liked this chapter. Things are about to *really* get rolling. If you follow me on tumblr you'll know I've done a really rough outline and have finally seen the end to this fic. So assuming all goes according to plan (it won't) this fic will end up being about 50 chapters total. Special thank you to those who have been following since the beginning. 
> 
> See you all next chapter!


	33. Chapter 33

It would appear as though idiots did, in fact, catch colds. That, or perhaps Bokuto was not as big of an idiot as he’d claimed to be. 

Though if Akaashi thought about it, they really should have dried their hair before moving their love session into the alpha’s bedroom

Of course, hair drying would have proved rather difficult considering it would’ve kill the flow of it all. The only reason they’d ended up on the bed in the first place was because Akaashi hadstarted to feel dizzy from all of the steam. 

Not that the omega cared. In all honesty he wasn’t sure if he was dizzy from the heat of the bath or from Bokuto’s vanilla. But if a bed meant that he finally got to ride the alpha to his heart’s content then he wasn’t going to complain. 

Except Bokuto definitely should’ve dried his hair first, in retrospect. Or maybe they just needed to know when to stop when it came to their lovemaking habits. Because now it was four in the morning, and Bokuto looked like he’d been run over by a truck.

Akaashi would definitely make him dry his hair properly next time. 

Because the alpha was coughing now, voice raspy and nose stuffed while he let out a soft groan, Bokuto trying to convince Akaashi that he was fine. 

“You’re _not_ fine,” Akaashi brought the back of his palm to Bokuto’s forehead, “You definitely have a fever—”

“It’s just a little—warm—“ Bokuto broke out into a series of sneezes, which did nothing to convince the omega, Akaashi deadpanning and saying he would start on breakfast. 

“I don’t—“

“Just something light so you can go back to sleep—”

“It’s fine—honestly—” Bokuto tried to sit up, “You have to get to the bakery—”

“It’s _my_ bakery,” Akaashi smiled, “I can have someone else open up for today.” 

Bokuto nodded, but was interrupted by a chorus of coughs. He tried his best to control it, pulling the covers over his head and letting out another annoyed groan. “You should go home. I don’t want to get you sick—”

Akaashi pulled the covers down, tucking Bokuto in properly, “I won’t. First things first, I think you should sleep a little more, and I’ll make you some breakfast when you wake up. Do you have any fever patches or medicine?” 

Bokuto shook his head, “I’m never sick so—I think I have children’s cough syrup, cuz of Eiji one time—“

“Ok,” Akaashi brushed his hair away, kissing the alpha’s forehead, “I’ll run down to the pharmacy once they open.” 

Bokuto wanted to keep fighting, wanted to say that Akaashi didn’t really have to go through the trouble, but he suddenly got chills, and decided it would be best for him to just close his eyes. 

When he opened them again, it was light out, the curtains closed but the sun still finding it’s way through, Bokuto’s entire head feeling congested, his body heavy and unable to breathe.

He couldn’t _breathe._

He broke out into another series of coughs and desperate gasps for air, his head pounding and feeling like it was going to burst. Noticing the box of tissues that’d been placed by his nightstand, he grabbed it, blowing his nose to try and relieve some of the pressure. 

It helped, but only for a little, and before he knew it he was coughing again. 

Everything felt so hot. 

Akaashi came in just then in a strange kind of rush, looking a little flustered since he still had his coat on, and his cheeks were pink from the cold outside. In his hand he held a small grocery bag. 

“Sorry, I stepped out to—are you ok?” Akaashi dropped the grocery bag at the foot of the bed, rushing over to put his hand on Bokuto’s forehead, “You’re burning up—!”

“What time is it?” 

“It’s not even seven yet—”

“Fuck—” he groaned, rolling over and coughing into his pillow. 

“Do you think you can eat?” Akaashi asked, grabbing the grocery bag and digging through a few items, “The pharmacist said it’d be better to take it with food—“

Bokuto gave a weak nod, “A little bit—”

“I’ll get you some water first and then I’ll get started on some okayu.” 

Bokuto nodded, and before Akaashi left the room he made sure to stick a fever patch on his forehead. He also grabbed a few more pillows so that Bokuto could sit up and feel less congested. Once Akaashi knew the alpha was relatively ok, he went back into the kitchen to get to work on something easy to eat. 

First things first was to take off his coat. He shrugged it off his shoulders and hung it at the entrance, since he’d been rushing before. Next was getting to work on the food itself, so he pulled out one of the aprons Bokuto had resting in the drawers and put it on. 

He almost felt like a housewife. 

His cheeks blushed furiously at the thought, Akaashi picking out a pot for the rice and gathering some ginger for the tea he wanted to make. His heart pounded in embarrassed excitement as he realized he already knew where Bokuto kept everything. Maneuvering around Bokuto’s house had become like second nature. As if he _lived_ here or something. The comfortable ease he felt gathering everything, whenever he came and left, even just simply _being_ in the apartment had almost become...comfortable. It was the sort of thing his romance books always described, but Akaashi himself had never experienced. 

It was...nice. This feeling he’d never had before. Being comfortable in someone else’s house, that is. It was something he didn’t even have with Terushima, because the omega’s house always smelled like a certain alpha, and that was enough to set anyone on edge. But Akaashi didn’t really focus on that, just focused on Bokuto’s apartment, and the weird bubbly pride Akaashi felt at the fact that he pretty much had the space memorized.

Maybe it was because they’d had sex in nearly every single room. 

Inwardly, he cringed at himself, rinsing out the rice a with a bit more force than was really necessary. 

No, it was more than just having sex. It was because he was constantly at the alpha’s house, and the alpha at his. It was because hey’d make dinner together, or breakfast, enjoying showers that went on far too long, and curl up on each other’s couches watching strange shows that neither one of them really understood, but could laugh at nonetheless. It was because they were just… _together._

Maybe, Akaashi thought, as he put the pot over the stove, they could talk about living together sometime in the near future. His lease was almost due, after all. 

But at the same time, Akaashi had no idea about that sort of thing. He’d always lived alone. He’d never gotten to the “living together” part of a relationship with anyone before. He didn’t know if there was a certain kind of timing, or a particular protocol for something like that. He definitely didn’t want Bokuto to think he was jumping the gun or being impatient or anything of that nature. 

Or clingy. Akaashi had definitely been called clingy before. No doubt a circumstance of his touch starvation.

Which was probably why he’d learned to close himself off, over the years. 

But Bokuto pushed past all of that. Broke through all those walls that Akaashi hadn’t even realized he’d built along the way. And the alpha did it all with such a soft smile on his face that Akaashi felt his heart clench at the mere thought of it. 

With the rice cooking, Akaashi got to work on the tea. Ginger always worked best for colds because cut through and cleared everything up. Though he’d never really taken care ofsomeone like this before, his own mom would always give him ginger tea when he had a cold, so it just seemed like the way to go in making Bokuto feel better. 

Once everything was ready, he put it all on a tray so that he could carry it into Bokuto’s room. The alpha was sitting up, looking like he was struggling to breathe as he wiped his nose with a tissue. 

“Sorry,” he said, voice all stuffed up as he gave a weak kind of smile, “Must be really gross—all the germs and stuff—”

“You’re sick,” Akaashi said easily, “That sort of thing is to be expected.” He set the tray down on Bokuto’s lap as Bokuto tossed the tissue into the trashcan. 

“Hey hey hey,” the alpha cheered weakly, “I made it.” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head a little as he blew on the rice porridge to cool it down. “Ok,” Akaashi held his hand under the spoon, “Open up.” 

Bokuto’s eyes widened, and he smiled a bit, cocking his head ever so slightly, “You’re gonna feed me?” 

Akaashi didn’t realize it until Bokuto said it, dread filling his face and the omega quickly setting the spoon back down into the bowl, “Oh—no—sorry I just—“ he looked around for something to change the topic, pushing the cup of tea towards Bokuto, “This is ginger tea, by the way, I don’t know if you’ll like it—”

“No—Akaashi!!” Bokuto buried himself in his blankets, letting out a few fake coughs, “Please feed me. My hands are under blankets—and I’m kinda shaky, so—”

“I didn’t—”

Bokuto looked at him with huge, wide eyes, letting out another obnoxiously fake cough. Akaashi nearly laughed.

“That’s rather sneaky, Bokuto-san.” 

The alpha shook his head, shimmying further into the covers, “I’m just sick. Spoil your sick boyfriend?” 

Akaashi bit his lip to keep from smiling, but it didn’t really work. So without thinking it over too much, he dipped the spoon into the porridge again, blowing on it a little, so that he could feed his sick boyfriend. Bokuto popped his mouth open happily, wagging his foot under the blanket, and Akaashi couldn’t help but think that it reminded him of an overexcited puppy. 

“Once you finish this, I’ll give you some medicine,” he said, “The pharmacist said it should be taken three times a day.” 

“Mhmm,” Bokuto hummed, but it broke off into a cough (a real one this time), and Akaashi was able to hear the congestion in the alpha’s chest. 

“Ah, I have to call Tooru—I was supposed to pick up Eiji today—”

“Call him after you finish,” Akaashi nodded, holding up another spoonful. 

The alpha nodded obediently, coughing again and giving a little groan, though he perked up again while chewing. “This reminds me of when I was little,” he admitted, pausing to take a sip of his tea, “I haven’t been sick in a long time. I think elementary was the last time?” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened, “That long ago?” 

“I think,” Bokuto crinkled his features in thought before nodding, “Yeah like 4th or 5th grade. It started raining and I didn’t have an umbrella so I ran home. I was out of school for like a week.”

“That must’ve been serious—”

“Nah,” Bokuto shook his head, “I heal really quickly. But my mom was kind of a worrywart so she kept me. Said she didn’t want me to infect anyone else’s kid.” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but laugh, picking up another spoonful, “Your mother sounds like an interesting woman.” 

“She’s great,” Bokuto smiled, “You should meet her one day.” 

Akaashi felt the warm blush spread up to his cheeks, causing him to smile a bit though he nodded rather shyly, “I’d like that, Bokuto.” 

The alpha beamed up at him, as if the decision had already been made in his head. “I’m glad you were able to find everything.” 

The omega scrunched up his features, giving him a questioning look.

“Oh,” Bokuto clarified, “In the kitchen. Seemed like you found everything.” 

“Ah,” Akaashi smiled, “Well I’ve cooked in it often enough.” 

Bokuto gave a wide smile that showed off all of his teeth, “Yeah. That’s true.” 

The alpha continued to smile at him, and Akaashi couldn’t help but feel a little self conscious, shifting a bit in his spot on the bed. 

“What?”

“Oh,” Bokuto’s smile faltered a bit as he shook his head, “No, sorry…”

Akaashi licked his lips, curious as to what had the alpha blushing in such a way, “What is it?” He asked. 

Bokuto let out a weakened cough, taking another bite of the food before answering. “No I just…when we’re like this it just kind of feels like we’re living together.” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened, his heart beating erratically at the alpha’s words. Had Bokuto been thinking the same thing?

“Sorry,” Bokuto grabbed for a tissue, blowing his nose before continuing, “That must be a little weird to say—“

“No,” Akaashi shook his head, smiling to himself as he swirled the spoon around in the bowl, “No I was thinking the same...a bit earlier...”

Bokuto’s grin was back, the alpha beaming from ear to ear, “That’s kind of a nice thought.” 

Akaashi gathered up some more porridge, before offering it up to Bokuto, “Living together?”

“You don’t think so?” Bokuto asked, taking a bite.

“I think...” the omega hid behind his lashes, “You’d get rather annoyed at my 4am alarm every morning.” 

Bokuto laughed out loud at that, choking a bit on his porridge, which then led to a full out coughing spasm. Akaashi shouldn’t have laughed, he really shouldn’t have, but he couldn’t really help it, because it was _funny,_ and Bokuto was always so dramatic about these things that Akaashi was hiding his laughs behind his hand before he even realized.

Finally Bokuto got control of his lungs, and was able to speak again, “I’ll just train myself to sleep through it.”

Akaashi shook his head, “You’d sleep through your own alarms then as well.”

“Oh,” a serious look washed over the alpha, Bokuto bringing a hand to his chin in pensive thought, “Well I guess that would be a problem. We can figure something out though!” 

He was beaming at Akaashi again, and Akaashi felt his chest clench. He loved when Bokuto looked at him like that. And if they had been thinking about the same thing anyway, then there’d be no harm in maybe suggesting it as a real possibility. Licking his lips, Akaashi took in a large inhale for courage. “Actually,” he began, “The lease for my apartment will be up at the end of April. So, if you wanted…” He blushed slightly when he said so, looking up at the alpha with a hopeful gaze. 

But Bokuto looked like a deer in headlights. And Akaashi figured he was about 30 years too early to be saying something like that. So he just cleared his throat awkwardly, dipping the spoon back into the porridge, “Sorry that’s—that’s probably far too soon—“ 

“No—!” Bokuto lunged forward, but then pulled back, Akaashi noticing that the alpha was jittering, “No I mean—that’s not to soon—not to me anyway—if you wanted to—I’d love it!—I mean—I could clear out some space—in my closet. For your stuff, I mean. If you wanted.” 

Akaashi smiled just as widely as Bokuto did, their expressions mirroring each other. “I think...” he began rather coyly, “The bigger issue is whether or not all of my baking supplies will fit in your kitchen?” 

“We’ll make it fit!” Bokuto said excitedly, “I mean my lease isn’t up till June but we can try it out and then if it turns out this place is too small we can just look for a bigger one in the summer! My budget’s pretty flexible so we don’t really have to hold back. If you want a big kitchen I can get it for you!” 

Akaashi blinked, trembling ever so slightly as the weight of the alpha’s words began to sink into his skin. 

Bokuto wanted to share a house with him. Wanted to get him a _kitchen._

Meanwhile, however, Bokuto was panicking a bit, because he didn’t really know why the omega was trembling, and so he immediately try to backtrack, trying to fix what he’d said, “Not that—I mean I’m sure you can afford a big kitchen all on your own. I didn’t mean it like—sorry I just got excited—“

Akaashi set the tray down so that he could climbing over the alpha, curling into him and nuzzling against Bokuto’s neck. 

“Akaashi?” Bokuto hugged him back, though he was obviously confused, “You’ll get sick...”

“You big idiot.” The omega murmured into his skin, still nuzzling softly. 

“I’ve been called that before,” Bokuto admitted, nearly at a whisper. 

“No ones ever...said anything like that to me before.” 

Bokuto squeezed the omega, finally understanding, though he had to turn his head to avoid coughing on Akaashi, “Well,” he managed, “Doesn’t that just make everyone else an idiot?” 

Akaashi blinked for a bit, long lashes tickling Bokuto’s neck, the omega starting to laugh in Bokuto’s arms. He even managed to purr a bit, snuggling up against the alpha. “The way you see things… it’s something that always manages to surprise me.”

Bokuto smiled, “I’m glad.” 

Akaashi gave a brief kiss to his neck before pulling away, apologizing for interrupting the alphas breakfast. He adjusted the tray back onto Bokuto’s lap, getting ready to feed him again.

“So we can do it right? Living together?” 

Still holding the spoon, Akaashi nodded, smiling to himself, “I’d really like that, Bokuto.

“Then, in that case!” Bokuto chewed excitedly, speaking with his mouth half full, “Is there anything else you want? Marble floors? Granite countertops? Statues with our faces carved into them?” 

Akaashi burst out laughing, shaking his head and telling the alpha to just be quiet and chew his food properly. “I don’t need any of that—“

“Don’t hold back! I’m a super successful businessman after all.” 

Akaashi leaned in, so that he could kiss Bokuto’s forehead. “The only thing I need from this successful businessman is for him to get better.”

Bokuto grinned, wagging his foot beneath the blankets again, “I can do that.”

“Good,” Akaashi smiled, holding up the spoon again, “Now open up.”

* * *

 

“Moshi moshi?”

“Oh thank god you picked up,” Oikawa held the desk phone between his shoulder and ear, typing data into his spreadsheet, “Would you be able to pick up Eiji today? I know we agreed on Wednesdays but Bokuto got sick so he’s out of commission. I could ask my mom but I figured—“ he stopped abruptly, his breath catching in his throat, “I mean. Well I wanted to ask you first. If you can’t it’s fine—“

“I can do it,” Iwa assured, “What time?”

“He’s usually done by 2? If you’re a little late it’s fine because the daycare doesn’t close until 3.”

“Yeah, that’s no problem.”

Iwa heard the sigh of relief that came from the other end of the line, “Great. Thank you so much. Usually my job is pretty flexible but we have this deadline for a big client—“

“Oikawa,” Iwa smiled, “It’s fine. Take care of whatever you need.”

The omega chewed his lip, but allowed himself to let everything go. “Thank you,” he sighed, realizing he was actually smiling into the phone, before he remembered that Iwa hadn’t ever really done this before, “Oh! He has to eat. If you could fix him something up I’d really appreciate it. Or just stop by somewhere on your way home. I’ll be back around four or so.” 

“I’ll have him picked up and fed by the time you get home,” Iwa told him, “TV?”

“Yeah that’s fine,” Oikawa said dismissively, “Anything but that wizard show. It’s giving him an attitude.”

“Got it.”

“Oh and Iwa?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” Oikawa said, “Really.”

Iwa felt pride surge in his chest, the alpha unable to help the broad smile that now claimed his face. It had taken quite a long time, but the omega was finally depending on him. And there was nothing that felt better than that. 

“Oh,” he smiled down at his shoes rather dumbly, because more than anything he was just happy. Ridiculously, stupidly happy. “Yeah,” he said, “No problem.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't want to post this. Or like update ever again cuz yes I can be just as petty as the person who reported me. But there's a solid 20 of you who regularly comment, and even when other people stop commenting you guys are always there to back me up and all, and I know you're looking forward to the updates, and a few of you mention how it brightens your day, and hearing that brightens mine. So really the only thing that's keeping me updating this is you guys, you already know who you are. 
> 
> Don't ask me what happened because I'll just delete your comment. Everything, as always, is on my tumblr. Enjoy the update.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [There's more art!!](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/171529717838/hannagdraws-some-stuff-ive-done-for-my-one) Huge thank you to Hanna and all of your support ^o^ It includes a small spoiler to Something to Call Our Own but like whatever cuz the art is awesome. Akaashi and little Daiki are my absolute favorite <3

In all honesty, Iwa was sort of nervous. Because the last time he’d picked up Eiji things hadn’t turned out so well with him and Oikawa. 

But they were turning over a new page. Flipping to a new leaf. 

…Or was it flipping to a new page, and turning over a new leaf? 

Whichever it was, Iwa was ready to prove to Oikawa that he could be a parent to Eiji. He’d been aiming for that all along, of course, but this time around Oikawa was actually letting him. 

And that was a good feeling. 

He didn’t have time to change after work, so he just headed to Eiji’s daycare in his business suit. Iwa didn’t like to brag, and he was the epitome of modesty, but he wasn’t ignorant to the fact that the stares he got increased when he was wearing a suit. 

Omegas liked a man in a suit. 

He’d never really understood that. One of his old flings had once explained that it showed stability or something. But Iwa didn’t really get it. If you asked him he thought omegas in suits looked much better.

Regardless, he made his way to the daycare, greeting the senseis who gave him a fair amount of side glances as well. 

Eiji had a way of cutting through all of that though, slamming up against the alpha’s legs the way he usually did to Oikawa. 

“Oh! Mr. Iwa!” He had some sort of superhero figurine in one hand, and a giant play block in the other, “Where’s Uncle Bokuto?” 

“He got sick,” Iwa explained, crouching down, “Your mom told me to pick you up.” 

“Oh,” Eiji blinked, looking at him, before rushing off in another direction and making the figurine fly, “I’m not done playing yet!” 

He zoomed around the room, followed by another little boy that Iwa vaguely recognized. 

The alpha swallowed. Somehow he got the feeling this wasn’t going to end well for him. “Eiji,” he said, in the best responsible adult voice he could muster, “We gotta get going. I need to feed you before your mom gets done.” 

“But Mr. Iwa!” Eiji reasoned, “We can eat later!” 

The senseis were looking at him, and Iwa realized he needed to do something _now_ before it got any worse. He didn’t want to be the one who told Oikawa that Eiji had a tantrum at daycare. 

“Eiji,” Iwa caught hold of him, crouching down again so he could meet the young alpha’s gaze, “When your Uncle comes to pick you up, you go when he says it’s time to go, right?” 

Awkwardly, Eiji looked around, nodding his head. 

Iwa nodded back, “And what about when your mom picks you up? Do you listen to your mom?” 

“I always listen to Mommy!” Eiji said immediately, trying to defend himself.

“I know,” Iwa smiled, “I’m sure your Mommy appreciates that. And your senseis too, right?”

Eiji nodded, silently added that he got a gold star for following the rules today. 

“Ok,” Iwa told him, “So how come you don’t wanna listen to me?” 

The little alpha licked his lips, looking down as he shrugged, murmuring that he didn’t really know. 

“You’re a big boy already aren’t you? Four whole years old?” 

Eiji nodded with a bit of a smile, pride shining in his brown eyes, “Yes!” 

“Ok,” Iwa groaned casually, standing back up, “That means you can be responsible. So are you gonna come home with me or do I have to tell your mom you stayed to play?” 

Eiji chewed his lip, looking up at Iwa, “Can I say goodbye to my friend?” 

Iwa reached out to ruffle his hair, smiling to show he wasn’t mad, “Of course.” 

For a moment Iwa thought Eiji meant the boy he’d been playing with, but to his surprise, Eiji ran to a different corner of the room, where he stopped right in front of a boy with large glasses. 

Iwa had almost forgotten about Shinji. 

Somehow that was really cute. 

When Eiji finished he came running back, and Iwa held out his hand, which Eiji happily took. With that, Iwa signed him out at the front and the pair went on their way. 

“What’re we gonna eat today Mr. Iwa?” Eiji skipped while he walked, but Iwa walked fast, so their paces somehow still managed to match. 

“Hmm,” Iwa tapped his chin, “I was thinking omurice. What do you think?” 

“Yes!” Eiji’s mouth dropped open in excitement, “I love omurice!! Mommy lets me draw stuff with the ketchup!” 

Iwa chuckled, leading them into the station, “Drawing stuff with ketchup is the best part.” 

It was sort of dumb to be notice it every single time but Iwa couldn’t help it. Whenever he was alone with Eiji he was reminded of _just_ how much he looked like Oikawa. It was almost like Oikawa had had Eiji all on his own. 

Well, Iwa thought, he had raised him all on his own. 

Maybe it was like one of those things where owners start to look like their dogs. 

Eiji wasn’t a dog though. 

Making a mental note to himself that that was a _weird_ train of thought, Iwa changed the subject in his head, focusing more on whether or not he had all the ingredients back home to make omurice. 

He probably did. He wasn’t sure about the ketchup though. 

_When was the last time he’d bought ketchup?_

Well, it was fine. If they needed anything they could just run down to the store and get it. Something told him Eiji wouldn’t mind that at all. 

“Mr. Iwa,” Eiji tugged on his hand, snapping him from his thoughts. 

“What’s up, little man?” 

“This is the wrong train.” 

Iwa looked up, crinkling his features. This was the train he usually took home. 

“We take the pink one to get home,” Eiji provided, noticing that the alpha was obviously confused, “This is the green train.” 

“Oh,” Iwa smiled, finally realizing what Eiji meant, “That’s because we’re going to my apartment today.” 

Eiji blinked up at him, mirroring the crinkled expression Iwa had worn moments before. It quickly faded though, Eiji blinking it away and getting excited all by himself, “I’ve never been to Mr. Iwa’s house!” 

Iwa chuckled to himself as the train arrived, and he brought Eiji off to the side so the passengers could get off. 

“It’s not much. Smaller than your house for sure,” he said as they stepped into the train, and luckily enough they were able to snag some seats. 

“Do you live by yourself, Mr. Iwa?” 

Iwa nodded, sitting down. “I used to have a dog, but…” he stopped himself, stiffening, wondering how the hell you tell a kid your dog died. 

“Is it in heaven now?” 

Relief washed over him, Iwa nodding and going with the heaven route, “Yeah. A few years ago though, so I’m not so sad anymore.” 

“What was its name?” 

“Taro,” Iwa smiled. 

“Taro,” Eiji repeated, trying the name out on his lips. “I like it!” 

“Thanks,” the alpha chuckled. 

“I want a dog but Mommy said I can’t. Kento said he’s getting a dog but I think he’s lying. Shinji likes dogs and cats! I don’t like cats so much though. They can’t play fetch.” 

“Shinji likes both, huh?” Iwa pointed out, smiling to himself. 

Eiji nodded happily, explaining further, “He likes hamsters too! And bunnies! But not birds. He says they’re too loud.” 

“They can be kind of loud,” Iwa agreed, “Do you like birds?” 

Swinging his legs against the seat, Eiji shrugged, “I guess. I don’t really know,” he paused for a bit, before looking up, “Mr. Iwa? Have you ever heard a bird sing?” 

“Sure,” Iwa smiled, “They sing all the time.” 

Eiji seemed somewhat disheartened at that, chewing his lip and lowering his head to watch his swinging legs, “That’s what everyone says. But I only ever hear them chirp.” 

For a moment, Iwa sat there dazed, because he couldn’t quite figure out what Eiji meant. But then it hit him, the alpha unable to bite back his smile. “Eiji,” he said, “When birds chirp, that’s their way of singing.” 

Eiji looked at him as if he were crazy, the young alpha scrunching up all of his features, looking a little angry, “But that’s not singing! That’s just them chirping! And there’s no music or anything!” 

“That’s how people started to describe it, I think. There’s a bit of rhythm in there if you listen carefully,” Iwa tried to explain. 

Not convinced in the least, Eiji just crossed his arms, no longer swinging his legs, “Well they shouldn’t call it singing then. It should just be called chirping and that’s all.” 

“Mm,” Iwa nodded, “I’m sure there’s other people out there who feel the same way.” 

“I’m just gonna call it chirping!” Eiji declared, as if he were starting a revolution. 

“Go for it,” Iwa smiled, and then pointed up at the screen above the doors, “Next stop is mine.” 

“That was fast!!” Eiji’s mouth dropped open, forgetting all about chirping birds, “Mr. Iwa you live super close!” 

“It’s why I’m at the park by your house so often,” Iwa smiled, and he watched as the realization slowly filled Eiji’s eyes, the young alpha brightening up at the thought. “Oh! That makes sense!” 

They got off at the next stop, making their way to Iwa’s apartment, Eiji looking rather excited about everything. Which sort of made Iwa excited about everything, which was weird, almost, but he didn’t know how else to explain it. He was excited. He was spending time with Eiji, and he was excited. Because Oikawa wanted him to spend time with Eiji. 

Was encouraging it.

And it felt good.

“Excuse the intrusion!” Eiji announced as Iwa opened the door, the young alpha walking in and taking great care when he took off his shoes, being as respectful as possible. He waited until Iwa took his own shoes off, and then set his sneaker’s down beside Iwa’s business shoes. Something about it made Iwa’s chest clench. It was like something out of those _father and son_ ads they had in magazines or along the walls of the underground. It kind of made him smile. 

“Ok,” he said, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it up, “First things first we gotta wash our hands—”

“I can wash my hands!” 

“Awesome,” Iwa chuckled, leading Eiji into the kitchen, “After that is the hard stuff.” 

“Like what, Mr. Iwa?” 

“Mmmm…” Iwa tapped his chin, opening up his pantry, “Well, we’ve gotta cut an onion. That’s usually the hardest.” 

“Mr. Iwa!!” Eiji bounced on over to him, so that he could stare into the pantry too, “Did you know that onions make you cry??” 

“They do, don’t they?” Iwa nodded, reaching in and grabbing an onion, some salt and the soy sauce. 

“Yeah!” Eiji followed as he set everything down on the counter, “Mommy says they make everyone cry no matter what!” 

“Mhmm,” Iwa headed back towards the pantry, and so Eiji did too, “He’d be right about that.” He set the rice down and then looked at Eiji, before pointing at the sink. “Ok, hands first.” 

Already Eiji started rolling up his sleeves, walking over to the sink and looking up at Iwa, as if he were waiting for something. “Mr. Iwa, where’s your stool?” 

“Stool?” 

Eiji waved his hands around, “I can’t reach.” 

“Oh,” Iwa said, before it actually hit him, “ _Oh._ Right. Ok well I don’t have a stool. We’ll just use a chair, how’s that sound?” 

Eiji nodded to show he agreed, and so Iwa left and came back into the kitchen holding a chair, pushing it up against the sink so that Eiji could wash his hands. With that settled he then told Eiji to hold tight, so he could scooch the chair over towards the counter. The alpha rolled up his own sleeves, telling Eiji to hold on a sec, because he was going to grab an apron. 

Once both alphas were safely decked out in their respective aprons, (Iwa had to wrap the strings around Eiji’s a few times) they washed their hands, and then got to work. 

“Let me get the rice going and then we’ll cut the onion,” Iwa explained, “If I gotta cry then you gotta cry too.” 

Determination burning in his eyes, Eiji gave a sharp nod, his hand up in a fist, “We can do it, Mr. Iwa!” 

Something about that had Iwa chuckling, so he quickly rinsed out the rice, taking a few moments to ask Eiji if he thought it looked clean enough, and only setting it on the stove when the little alpha gave his approval. 

With the rice set to cook, Iwa splashed a bit of oil in a pan and turned on the stove, so that they could get to work on the onions. 

“If we talk, we won’t cry as much,” Iwa explained, holding the knife at a bit of a stall. 

“Really?” Eiji looked up at him with curious eyes, intensity claiming his entire expression. 

Iwa shrugged, “Well, it’s worth a try, right?” 

Eiji nodded, “We can try!” 

“Ok,” Iwa said, slicing the knife down, “So what do you and your mom usually put in your omurice?” 

“Mommy puts chicken! And sometimes um—the other kind of chicken!” 

A smile tugged at Iwa’s lips, his brows crinkling, “Other chicken?…Beef, maybe?” 

Eiji shook his head, “No, I know what beef is.” 

“Hmm…pork, maybe?” 

“Maybe…” Eiji squinted, because the onions were starting to work their magic, “Is pork white-ish? And is it cut into tiny square pieces?” 

“They can be,” Iwa blinked hard, the onions not just getting to Eiji but to him as well, “It’s probably pork.” 

“Ok,” Eiji said, but his voice wavered, tears gathering around his eyes as he continued to squint, “Mr. Iwa, are we almost done with the onion?” 

“Almost,” Iwa nodded, wiping his eye with his sleeve of his shoulder. Upon having seen that, Eiji did just the same, shrugging his shoulders up so he could wipe his eyes the way Mr. Iwa had done. 

“Oh,” Eiji nearly jumped up on the chair, having just remembered, “Mommy also puts bell pepper! The green kind!” 

“In fried rice?” Iwa finished up, sliding the contents of the cutting board into the pan and feeling a strange satisfaction upon hearing the sizzle it gave. 

“Yeah! Bell pepper and chicken and um—lots of soy sauce!” 

“Alright, I’ve got bell pepper and chicken,” Iwa seemed to be going through a list in his head as he washed his hands, “What about peas? Or carrots?” 

“Mommy likes carrots but I don’t like peas.” Eiji explained matter-of-factly. 

“Alright,” Iwa patted his hands dry on his pants, “We got some work to do.” 

Eiji gave a nod of determination as he watched Iwa go into the fridge and pick out a few more ingredients, the alpha setting everything down on the counter in front of him. 

“Have you ever cut a bell pepper?” Iwa asked. 

Eiji shook his head with wide eyes, standing very still on the chair, “Mommy lets me help sometimes but not that much.” 

“Ok,” Iwa nodded, “You just have to promise to be really careful. See your fingers?” Iwa wriggled them, and so Eiji held up his hands to mirror him, until suddenly Iwa grabbed the young alpha’s hands, making a chomping sound, “We don’t want them getting chopped off do we?” 

Eiji giggled, probably relieved from the bit of shock Iwa’d given him, nodding with happy eagerness, “Ok!” 

“Ok, so watch,” Iwa said, taking the bell pepper in one hand and the knife in the other, “First we cut down the side here, so that way we can carve out the seeds at the top,” he cut as he spoke, pulling out the bulb of seeds for Eiji to see, “We can throw this part away.” 

He continued cutting the pepper into a few more parts, then moved the cutting board in front of Eiji. “Does your mom do it in strips or in little squares?”

“Little squares!” 

Iwa nodded, offering the knife out to Eiji, “Alright, I’ll help you.” He put his hand over Eiji’s, guiding his hand to slice up the bell pepper, “Careful. Just little by little, making them nice and even. Good job!” 

They continued in that manner, until they’d cut up all the bell pepper into little bite-sized pieces. 

It was the absolute slowest Iwa had ever taken cutting a bell pepper, but it didn’t really matter. Watching Eiji’s face light up and contort, and seeing the young alpha look so proud when added the bell pepper to the onion pan somehow made it all worth it. 

The rest of the ingredients continued much in the same manner, except for the chicken, which Iwa cut up all on his own, adding it to the pan so that everything could cook. 

By the time they finished cutting and adding everything to the pan, the rice was done, so they mixed it all together, Iwa letting Eiji squeeze a bit of ketchup and add a decent amount of soy sauce to the mix. 

Iwa took care of the egg at the end, topping off their plates of rice with the omelet. 

“Now we can draw the face Mr. Iwa?!” 

Iwa chuckled, setting the plates down in front of Eiji, “Now we can draw the face,” he reached over for the bottle of ketchup and handed it to Eiji, “Have at it.” 

Eiji stuck his tongue out in concentration, squeezing out little bits of ketchup all over the omelet and calling it his masterpiece. 

When Eiji was all done, Iwa helped him off the chair, and carried thetwo plates to the table, so that they could finally indulge in the fruits of their labor. He figured they should just leave the aprons on, because he didn’t want Eiji to dirty his clothes.

When they got to the table, Iwa realized he totally forgot about the water, so he told Eiji to hold on a second, grabbing two cups and some napkins for good measure. He wondered if Eiji could drink from a normal cup. 

Probably, right? Either way he didn’t have a choice, because he definitely did not own any sippy cups. 

When he set the cup down in front of Eiji, he told him to be careful, and Eiji assured him he would. Iwa nodded and sat down, and both alphas clapped their hands together at the same time.

_“Itadakimasu!”_

Eiji was the first to dig in, shoving a giant spoonful into his mouth, letting out a satisfied _mmm!!_ while he chewed. “We did a great job Mr. Iwa!” 

“Mm,” Iwa took his own bite, sampling a taste, “I think we did.” 

Eiji shot him a big grin, and Iwa couldn’t help but smile back, the two alphas not talking much as they scarfed down their food. 

Except, Eiji seemed rather prone to smearing ketchup all over his face. It didn’t cause too much trouble, but Iwa just had to keep the napkins ready.

“Mr. Iwa,” Eiji asked after a while, Iwa reaching over to clean Eiji’s cheek. 

“Hmm?” 

“Do you want to marry Mommy?” 

The alpha stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as the napkin hung still in his hands. Licking his lips, he set the napkin down, before smiling down at Eiji, and nodding his head.

“I want to. But I think it’ll be a while before that happens.” 

Eiji swung his legs, taking another spoonful of rice, and effectively smearing more ketchup on his cheeks, “How long does it take to get married?” 

Again, Iwa wiped the young alpha’s face with the napkin, showing off his best thinking face and saying that he didn’t really know. 

Taking a hold of his cup with both hands, Eiji drank some water, watching Iwa closely, as if he were thinking seriously to himself. Finally, he set the cup down, and proceeded to stare down at his rice with crinkled features. “Mommy didn’t know either,” he explained, “That’s why I wanted to ask Mr. Iwa.” 

The alpha blinked, leaning in more closely to Eiji, “You were talking to your mom about this?” 

Eiji nodded, taking in another giant spoonful of rice. He took his time chewing, before looking over at Iwa again, “Can I have more water please?”

That caught Iwa a bit off guard, because he was sure that Eiji was going to say something about Oikawa. But the alpha just shook his head, regaining focus, and filled up Eiji’s glass with more water. 

His head was in a daze the entire way to the fridge. Didn’t that mean that Oikawa was talking to Eiji about the future? Or had Eiji just happened to ask? Still though, regardless of who had initiated it, they’d still… _talked_ about it. 

“Hey, Eiji,” Iwa cleared his throat as he sat back down, having grabbed a few more napkins for good measure, “How would you feel if your Mommy and I did get married?” 

Eiji looked at him and shrugged, eyes looking rather blank, “I don’t know,” he pushed his rice around with his spoon, “Mommy’s never been married before.” 

Iwa cleared his throat, before nodding at Eiji, “Right,” he said, “That makes sense.” 

“Oh but!” Eiji sat up excitedly, a little grain of rice stuck to his cheek, “Mommy said that if you guys got married then I might get a little brother or a little sister!” He continued to bubble, tapping the spoon against his lips, “But I don’t really want a little sister. A brother would be better because then we can race!” 

Iwa chuckled, clearing Eiji of the rice grain, “You could race against a sister too, you know.” 

Eiji blinked, as if it was the first time he’d ever considered it. But he just shrugged again, brushing it all away. His voice got a little more quiet. “Mr. Iwa?” he asked, “If you marry Mommy does that mean you’ll always sleep in Mommy’s room?” 

There was a slight pause, Iwa trying to figure out how to answer that. He figured transparency was the best way to approach it. “Yeah,” Iwa nodded, “When people get married they always sleep in the same bed.” 

“Oh,” Eiji said, looking at him and nodding, grabbing for his glass again, “Mommy said the same thing…” 

He took a few sips, and Iwa just sat there staring at him looking kind of dumb, because that meant Oikawa really _had_ talked to Eiji about it, and something about that had his heart racing, because didn’t that meant that Oikawa was thinking about possibly getting _married_ in the future?

Ok. He was getting ahead of himself. He couldn’t help it though. But really, he had to slow his racing thoughts. If Oikawa was making an effort to catch up then Iwa would most definitely wait for him. Maybe, slowly, they would finally get to the same page. Finally be able to look at the future from the same perspective. 

And if they were looking towards the future with the same lens, then, didn’t that mean…

“I’m done!” Eiji said, smiling nice and big up at Iwa, wiping his face with the napkin all by himself. “Mr. Iwa, can we watch tv?” 

“Oh,” Iwa shook his head, bringing himself back to reality, “Yeah, we can watch some tv. But how about you help me with dishes first?” 

The young alpha’s eyes widened and he practically jumped out of his seat, running towards the sink, “I can help! Mommy never lets me help with the dishes!” 

Iwa grabbed the plates and followed Eiji to the kitchen, “Your mom is pretty picky about the dishes, isn’t he?” 

Eiji nodded, pushing the chair up against the sink so he’d be tall enough, “Mommy likes things clean.” 

“I’ve noticed,” Iwa replied, pushing the chair over a bit so he’d have enough room to wash, “I’ll take care of the plates, and you can do the cups, how does that sound?” 

Quick, short nods gave Iwa his answer, Eiji already reaching for the soap. 

Again, it was the longest Iwa had ever taken washing dishes, but doing it with Eiji somehow made it seem like the amount of time it took didn’t really matter so much. 

“So, you know,” Iwa said, handing him a cup, “I do have some racing games we could play while we wait for your mom to get here. Or we could watch tv. Up to you.” 

The light in Eiji’s eyes was unmistakable, “Racing games?” 

“Mhm,” Iwa nodded towards the living room, “I’ve got a system set up.” 

“Can we play the racing game Mr. Iwa!!” 

“Definitely,” the alpha smiled, taking the cup back, and setting it on the rack to dry, “Was that the last one?” 

Eiji nodded, motioning to the sink to show that everything had been cleaned. 

“Alright,” Iwa picked Eiji up off the chair, and set him back down on the ground. He took off Eiji’s apron and then his own, folding them up and putting them back in the drawer. Then he looked at Eiji and clapped his hands, “Ok! Let’s go!” 

“Yes!!” Eiji ran into the living room, shouting and throwing his fist up in the air, “I’ve never played a racing game before!” 

Iwa caught up to him, taking a few moments to explain how it worked, but it was simple enough, the main controls relatively basic for this particular game. 

“What about if you have to go backwards?” Eiji asked while Iwa loaded the game into the system. 

“You just push the square,” Iwa motioned with his hand, fidgeting with the remote. Finally, he managed to get the tv to the right input screen.

But the alpha regretted it the moment it turned on. Because he’d forgotten all about the horrible yakuza imitation voice that was— 

_“ARE YOU READY TO FUCKING_ **_RIIIIIIDE_ ** _!!!!”_

Iwa skipped to the next page as fast as he could, trying to change the safety mode—or at least mute the sound effects, or _something,_ because if Eiji repeated _that_ of all things he was pretty sure he could say goodbye to any and all hope of Oikawa letting him near his kid ever again. 

But he was able to set it to a safe mode, so instead of a commentator the only thing that popped up were the sound effects. 

For the most part, it was ok. And Eiji hadn’t seemed to have picked up on the word _fucking,_ so that was a plus. He was absolutely horrible at the game, but then again he was _four_ so Iwa just attributed it to that. 

Plus this game didn’t exactly have the easiest tracks to race with. He made a mental note to go pick one up that was more kid-friendly, at some point. 

Eiji seemed to be enjoying himself, though so that was a plus. Because every time the game informed him that he had passed a checkpoint, he would stand up and scream _ka-chow!_ which for a moment Iwa didn’t recognize, but then realized that it was something Lightning McQueen would say. 

Iwa couldn’t help but chuckle at it, “Did you just start saying that?” 

Eiji shook his head, trying to keep his attention on the game, “I say it all the time! But Mommy doesn’t let me say it when he’s around because Mommy says it gives him a headache and I don’t want to give Mommy headaches.” 

“I see…” Iwa managed, trying to picture it all, because it was a funny sort of image, distracted enough to the point that Eiji actually passed him in the game. 

It didn’t take very long for Iwa to realize why Oikawa had forbidden Eiji from saying _kachow_ in his presence. 

Not long at all. 

Eiji seemed keen on using it at every instance, for every reaction, every close call, victory, disappointment, anything. It was like he was trying to make up for all the times Oikawa hadn’t let him say it. 

Just when Iwa thought his head was going to explode, he was literally saved by the bell, Eiji dropping his controller and jumping up again, “Mommy!” 

“Ah, I’ll get the door—“

Iwa struggled to get up, but Eiji was already running towards the door. He caught up to him, and when he opened the door Oikawa was damn near tackled, the omega laughing and smiling in the way Iwa liked best, with his mouth all open and showing off all of his teeth. 

It paired really nicely with Oikawa’s work suit. Iwa never really got tired of seeing the omega in a suit.

“Hey!” Oikawa exclaimed, hugging Eiji close, “How was your day with Mr. Iwa?” 

“It was awesome! Mr. Iwa let me do the dishes!” 

“Did he now?” 

Iwa chuckled, crossing his arms, “That’s the part you’re excited about huh?” He motioned to Oikawa, “Come on in.” 

“Thank you,” Oikawa stepped in, already slipping out of his shoes, “You saved me today.” 

“Happy to do it,” Iwa smiled. 

“Can I treat you to dinner or something?” 

Iwa shook his head, “I did it because I wanted to.”

“I know, but—”

“Mr. Iwa and I made omurice!! It was really yummy and I got to draw a face in ketchup!” 

“You did?” Oikawa let out a gasp, crouching down to meet his son, “You helped him make omurice?” 

Pride warming his cheeks, Eiji gave an affirmative nod, ensuring his mother that it came out delicious. 

“We had some left over, if you wanna try some,” Iwa suggested. 

Oikawa pushed up against his knees, standing back up, “Would that be ok? I don’t wanna take up your time.” But he was already taking off his jacket, hanging it up by the entrance.

“It’s not taking up time. Spending time with you guys never is.” 

Oikawa gave another smile that Iwa liked just as much, a softer one though, one that was all lips, the edges curling ever so slightly. “Ok,” he nodded, “I’d like that.”

“Mommy!” Eiji pointed up at his face, “Your cheeks are red!” 

The omega’s eyes widened, and he cleared his throat, ushering Eiji to follow Iwa, “It’s because I’m excited for omurice.” 

“Your cheeks can get red when you get excited?”

Oikawa shot Iwa a glance, and he bit his lip, curbing yet another smile, “Sometimes,” Oikawa answered, “Not all the time though.” 

Iwa called Eiji over to him, so that he could help set up a plate for his mom, and Eiji took great pride in drawing a face on Oikawa’s egg. 

“It’s smiling cuz it’s happy to see you!” Eiji said excitedly, when Iwa set the plate down in front of Oikawa. 

Oikawa chuckled, giving his thanks for the food and taking hold of his spoon, “I’m smiling because I’m happy to eat it.” 

He took a bite, commenting on how yummy it tasted, and Eiji began chattering about the video game Mr. Iwa had taught him how to play. Oikawa listened intently, smiling and laughing with his son. It was definitely one of Iwa’s favorite things to see.

“So,” Oikawa wiped his face with a napkin, “You were good for Mr. Iwa then?” 

“I was!” 

Oikawa looked over at Iwa, seeking confirmation. 

“He gave me a bit of trouble at the daycare,” Iwa smiled, ruffling Eiji’s hair a bit, “But it was all smooth sailing after that.” 

The omega’s eyes sharpened, his gaze returning to his son. “What did you do?” 

“Nothing!” Eiji said just a bit too quickly, which made Oikawa set his spoon down. 

“Eiji,” he folded his hands, “What did I say about listening to Mr. Iwa?” 

“But I did though!” 

“Eiji.” 

The young alpha hung his head, “Sorry, Mommy.” 

“It’s not me you have to apologize to. Did you apologize to Mr. Iwa? Because he took the time to pick you up and make you lunch and look after you. Don’t you think it’s rude if you make things hard for him?” 

Nodding, and biting down on his bottom lip, Eiji agreed, before looking up and apologizing properly to the alpha. 

“All forgiven,” Iwa assured, “Thank you for apologizing.” 

Eiji smiled at that, looking towards his mother for praise. Oikawa nodded at him, smiling and picking up his spoon again, “Isn’t that better?” He looked at Iwa now, a somewhat more troubled expression on his face, “Sorry about that. He likes testing people. Seeing how much of a leash he has.” 

“It’s ok,” Iwa shook his head, “All kids do.” 

Oikawa nodded, chewing his food and holding his hand up to his mouth, “I’m trying to work on that…so that he can see you as…” He took another bite of food, not finishing his sentence. 

“See who as what?” Eiji asked, perking up and looking from his mom to Iwa. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Iwa ruffled up Eiji’s hair, before turning to face Oikawa, “I appreciate that. A lot.” 

Oikawa smiled again (the one that was all lips) and again commented on how good the omurice was, saying that he’d definitely have to make it up to Iwa later. 

“You and making things up to people.”

“It’s only fair!” Oikawa argued. 

“Well in that case, how about a date? Kuroo keeps bothering me about it.” 

Oikawa took a sip of water, “I wouldn’t mind. I’d just need to know the day in advance.” 

“Can I come?” Eiji got up on his knees in the chair, leaning over the table to get everyone’s attention. 

“Not to this one, sweetheart,” Oikawa motioned with his hand, silently telling Eiji to sit back down.

“Does that mean sleepover at Uncle Bokuto’s house?!”

“Or at Grandma’s,” Oikawa explained, turning his attention to Iwa, “Would we be out all night?”

Iwa shook his head, giving a carefree shrug, “It doesn’t have to be anything too crazy. We could just get dinner or something.” 

“Dinner would be nice,” Oikawa agreed, “And then maybe you could spend the night with us.” 

“Yeah Mr. Iwa! You could spend the night with us and then we could race some more!” 

“You know,” Iwa leaned over the table, “I think that sounds like a great idea.” 

“Yes!” Eiji got excited all over again, starting up another story to tell his mom, tripping over his own words from how fast he was going. 

Iwa couldn’t help but smile listening to it all, because the more he thought about it, the more he came to like the way his apartment felt, filled with the sound of Eiji and Oikawa laughing the way they were. 

“I have to go to the bathroom!” Eiji declared suddenly, and so Iwa pointed towards the hallway, saying it was the second door. 

“Can you go by yourself—” Oikawa called out, Eiji already racing down the hall, “I can do it!” 

“Wash your hands!” Oikawa yelled, Eiji’s rushed _ok!_ and the door slamming the only response he really got. 

Iwa laughed. 

“Sorry,” Oikawa scoffed, smiling to himself while he shook his head, “I know he’s such a handful sometimes—”

“If you can handle it then the least I can do is help you handle it.” 

Oikawa nodded again, giving a soft smile, “Thank you.” 

“So um,” Iwa cleared his throat, trying to talk fast, because there was no telling when Eiji would come out of the bathroom, “Eiji said you and him were talking about the possibility of marriage…”

Oikawa glanced down, moving his rice around with the spoon, “He told you that, did he?” 

“Does that mean,” Iwa leaned in eagerly, “You’re thinking about that now too?” 

“I’m—” Oikawa looked up, inhaling, “I’m seeing it as a possibility,” he nodded in affirmation, “—a distant one! But…” he cleared his throat, not meeting Iwa’s gaze, “It’s there. I’m trying. And I know I have to properly explain things to Eiji so I think it would be best if I start explaining it to him early on but,” finally, he met Iwa’s eyes, “Please continue to be patient with me.” 

“I’ll be right here waiting,” Iwa smiled, reaching out to brush his thumb over Oikawa’s hand. 

The sound of a door opening and Eiji’s heavy stomps interrupted them, the little alpha running back into the room. Even still, the omega didn’t move his hand, and the simple fact made Iwa’s heart race. 

“Did you wash your hands?” Oikawa said, watching as Eiji sat back down.

“I can’t reach! And Mr. Iwa doesn’t have a stool!” 

“Eiji!” 

“Igot it,” Iwa stood up, motioning for Eiji to follow him, “Just enjoy your food,” he gave Oikawa’s shoulder a bit of a squeeze as he passed behind him. 

Maybe it was too early to be thinking this. It probably was because Iwa was always quick to jump the gun on a lot of things. But something about doing all these things with Eiji, Oikawa eating dinner in the meantime, it just kind of felt like they were already a family. And there wasn’t anything Iwa could think of that was better than that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is more art. Link is at the top if you wanna check it out. 
> 
> Enjoy the update.


	35. Chapter 35

Oikawa had learned a few things. The first was that Kuroo Tetsurou was rather charming in every respect, and he was also a decent enough cook. However, he wasn’t sure how much of that was genuinely Kuroo, because Tsukishima continued stalking through the kitchen, adding little bits of seasoning and casually reminding Kuroo of certain ingredients. 

But regardless of that, the pair made a rather good team, especially for an alpha and beta pair. Oikawa supposed that sort of thing didn’t really matter though, not when Kuroo looked at Tsukishima the way he did, with those shoujou stars in his eyes that were all too obvious, and especially not when Tsukishima returned it all with a chaste smile, complimenting his mate on how good the food had turned out (even though Oikawa was pretty sure most of that was thanks to Tsukishima in the first place). 

More than that, though, Oikawa realized there was a side to Iwa he’d never really seen before. These three were much closer than Oikawa had really anticipated, which was a dumb sort of thing to think, really, and for a moment the omega found himself wondering if Iwa had felt the same way, when he’d first stepped into Oikawa’s life. 

Jealousy wasn’t the right word. It was something different. A longing, perhaps. A sort of remorse for never having really tried to get past the surface of who Iwa was. It was no one’s fault but his own. And more so than the embarrassment of it all (how long had they been dating, now?), was the simple fact that Oikawa was rather mad at himself. 

Here he was, nine months into a relationship, and only just now was he meeting his partner’s friends. Forget anything about Iwa’s family. Oikawa wasn’t even sure he could remember Iwa’s parent’s names. 

And despite this, here was Iwa, telling him that he loved him, that he was willing to wait for him, that he wanted Eiji to be his son. 

All of which Oikawa had considered after their first fight, of course.

But none of which he’d ever really _really_ thought about until a casual dinner at the Kuroo household. 

Which seemed sort of like a waste. And anticlimactic at best. Maybe it was because Iwa was so patient about things. And so understanding. Maybe Oikawa had just taken that all for granted. Maybe it’d just been too long since the omega had been in a relationship. But part of him knew he couldn’t keep blaming things on his past trauma. Couldn’t claim that all of his walls were up for Eiji, because most of them just _weren’t,_ as selfish as that was, but maybe Oikawa was just a selfish person. 

Well, he’d known that from the start. But up until recently there hadn’t been any sort of competition for the alpha’s affection. Not that he’d call the way Iwa interacted with his friends competition, exactly, but Oikawa had never really felt left out before. No doubt Iwa had felt the same way whenever Bokuto and Oikawa’s parents were around. Oikawa’d never really taken the time to consider what that might have felt like. 

And it wasn’t as though he was purposely being left out of the current conversation. It was just he’d never been introduced to the narrative in the first place. When he should have. Because that’s just what two people did when they were dating, didn’t they? People just gradually began to know more about each other. 

Like how Iwa had broken his toe second year of college. How the alpha’s parents flew in to surprise him one year during the championship game. How Iwa and Kuroo had gotten locked in the gym one time because they stayed too late practicing. 

Oikawa didn’t know any of that. And though he’d sort of come to terms with that after their fight, it was something that was only made painfully clear to him now. He definitely needed to change. 

He wasn’t sure why, but it was Tsukishima who seemed to have triggered the entirety of his thought process. It’d begun the moment Oikawa and Iwa had stepped into the house. Because Tsukishima was stoic, and proud, the way Oikawa had always been, unapologetic about his height and even more so about his sub-gender. But despite all that there was a softness to him when he was around Kuroo, a certain kind of smile Oikawa recognized immediately, the familiar touches and playful banter that Oikawa realized he was sort of missing. 

And when the topic fell onto babies, Tsukishima explaining that the adoption process was now nearly complete, Oikawa somehow came to realize he’d been trying to compartmentalize his life, separating the him he was with Iwa, and the him he was to Eiji. And, by design, that meant separating Iwa and Eiji. 

And for some reason it took Tsukishima mentioning nonchalantly to Kuroo that he’s never liked peas for Oikawa to suddenly come to realization of everything that followed. 

Which really made no sense. But for some reason that was what sparked it. 

“Since when do you not like peas?” 

“Tetsu,” Tsukishima rolled his eyes, “Since always.” 

“Is that why you don’t eat the fried rice?” 

“Tetsurou you _know_ this.” 

“No I didn’t! I thought you just didn’t like the fried rice—”

It was…domestic. Loving, in a weird way. But then Oikawa began to wonder if he was thinking all of this because of Tsukishima and Kuroo, or if it was because he’d already downed two glasses of wine.But there was a comfort in it. That even if certain things were forgotten, like whether or not your partner liked peas—it was comfort.

Kuroo and Tsukishima had comfort. 

It was the ease that Kuroo had when rubbing Tsukishima’s shoulder. The way Kuroo made a face when Tsukishima wiped his cheek with a napkin. How the alpha knew to get the beta a glass of water to pair with the wine. The simple fact that they were sitting much closer to each other than Oikawa was to Iwa, that their postures complimented each other. 

Comfort, Oikawa thought, but more importantly trust. 

And that was something he’d perhaps deprived Iwa of for far too long. 

“Regardless,” Tsukishima held up his hand, smiling across the table at Iwa and Oikawa, “The night is still young. I know you have a child to get home to but maybe we could all go out somewhere—”

“I was thinking karaoke—” Tetsu interrupted.

“Karaoke sounds fun—” Iwa agreed, but was then immediately cut off by Tsukishima, who adjusted his glasses in disgust. 

“Absolutely not. If Oikawa-san hears Iwa singing then we’ll have been the cause of their breakup.” 

Oikawa found himself snorting, laughing out loud at Tsukishima’s comment, “He took me to karaoke on our first date,” he informed, “So I’ve already heard the worst of it, I think.” 

Kuroo’s mouth dropped, before he shook his head, his eyebrows raising in judgement, “That was a bad move, dude. Never do karaoke on the first date.” 

“We had a good time!” Iwa argued, “And we’re both here so it worked out fine.” 

“Speaking of,” Kuroo turned to Oikawa, “It’s insane how you two met! Kinda crazy romantic isn’t it?” 

“If by romantic you mean creepy,” Tsukishima adjusted, also now looking at Oikawa, “If it were me I would have called the police.” 

“Ok, ok,” Iwa growled a bit, “I already know what you think of it Kei—”

“He took a chance for love!” Kuroo jumped in, defending his friend, “It obviously worked, right Oikawa-san?” 

Oikawa found himself smiling, nodding in Tsukishima’s direction, “To be honest I thought about calling the police—”

“See,” Tsukishima motioned to Iwa with his wine glass, “I told you—”

“But,” Oikawa continued, looking at Iwa, “I think it was your scent that saved you.” 

Iwa crinkled his features, encouraging the omega to go on, “How so?” 

“Completely non-threatening,” Oikawa teased, “For someone who’s supposed to be a pack leader,” 

“Pack leader or pup it’s hard to tell,” Tsukishima joined in on the teasing. 

“Hilarious,” Iwa deadpanned, “Truly.” 

“Just don’t get him mad,” Tsukishima snorted, “That’s really something to see—”

“It’s not that bad,” Iwa argued. 

Oikawa’s eyes widened, “I don’t think I can even really picture that. You’re so calm all the time.” 

“That’s just what being a pack leader is,” Iwa said, his eyes sharpening, “But all alphas have aggression. Pack leader or not that doesn’t really change.”

“You should see him right before his rut,” Kuroo added, “He’s a major piss baby.” 

“I am not!” 

“Really?” Oikawa leaned into Iwa, “I kinda wanna see that.” 

“I’m not,” Iwa assured, but Oikawa just laughed along with everyone else, especially when Tsukishima explained that Iwa once broke the door off the fridge when he thought someone had eaten his leftovers. 

“Ok that was like _two_ days before my rut—”

“You still broke the door off over leftover Chinese food. So.” Tsukishima popped his lips, shrugging his shoulders. 

Iwa tried to find a way to refute that, but couldn’t really find the words to, so he just stayed quiet instead. Oikawa licked his lips, somehow finding that really adorable. “Duly noted,” he said to the group, “I’ll make sure you’re never on an empty stomach when you’re nearing your rut.” 

Iwa chuckled for a moment at that, smiling brightly at Oikawa, “I’ll hold you to that.” 

“Ok so,” Tsukishima broke through the moment, folding his hands over the table, “I know it was raining but we can still do something. I was thinking dancing, do you dance, Oikawa-san?” 

“Oh, wow,” Oikawa blinked, “I used to. Not so sure I’d recognize a club anymore though—”

“There’s this place Kuroo and I used to go to. It’s a bit more upscale so it doesn’t feel like a frat party. Plus the drinks are really good.” 

“So that’s a no to the karaoke I’m guessing,” Kuroo lamented. 

“Tetsu,” Tsukishima rolled his eyes, “Can we have one last adult night before we become parents?” 

“I don’t mind dancing! I just like karaoke that’s all!” 

Ok, so maybe Oikawa’s sudden moment of clairvoyance didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Tsukishima had first mentioned peas. If Oikawa were being completely honest, it had probably had more to do with the fact that Kuroo and Tsukishima were adopting a baby together.Which made a lot more sense than someone randomly mentioning peas. But maybe Oikawa still just sucked at being honest with himself. 

“You still haven’t shown me a picture,” the omega said, smiling at the alpha. 

“Oh hold on,” Kuroo grinned, “I got one on my phone—”

Tsukishima’s phone was out before anyone else’s, sliding it across the table for Oikawa to see. Oikawa took the phone, holding it up and feeling his lips curl into a smile at the sight of the baby. 

“How old is he?” 

“7 months!” Kuroo provided.

“Almost 8,” Tsukishima corrected, “He’ll be about 9 months old once the papers go through.” 

“He’s precious,” Oikawa smiled at them, handing the phone back, “Reminds me of when Eiji was that little. You two must be so excited.” 

“Excited, terrified,” Tsukishima shrugged, “Somewhere in between I suppose.” 

“I wish I could say that feeling goes away,” Oikawa chuckled. 

“Tsukki just gets nervous sometimes since he’s a beta,” Kuroo smiled, throwing his arm over his mate. 

The blonde shrugged him off, his expression darkening, “That’s got nothing to do with it.” 

Kuroo cleared his throat, shrugging the topic off, “Well I mean having a kid is scary right? I don’t know how you did it alone, Oikawa-san.” 

“Please, just Oikawa is fine,” Oikawa smiled, “And I had a lot of support from my family. So it wasn’t really all by myself. And there’s Iwa now too…” he glanced at the alpha, before looking away, “Ah, but I am perpetually anxious. Omega instinct I guess. Makes me really overprotective. And I didn’t have an alpha to balance me out so…I suppose that’s why Eiji is so spoiled.” 

“He’s a good kid,” Iwa smiled, “Even if he is a little spoiled.” 

“Well now you got him to balance you out right?” Kuroo smiled, pointing at Iwa and motioning between him and Oikawa. 

Oikawa couldn’t help but smile, glancing at Iwa and lowering his head a bit, realizing that they’d managed to scooch closer together since the start of the conversation. 

Maybe…they were finally getting to their own comfort. Actually, maybe Iwa had been trying for that this whole time, and Oikawa had just been stopping it. 

That was the more likely scenario. 

“Well,” Tsukishima clapped his hands together, standing up to clear the table, “Are we going to dance or just sit around the table like a bunch of grandparents?”

* * *

 

“Iwa was telling me how the three of you met,” Oikawa explained, he and Tsukishima walking ahead of the two alphas as they left the train station. 

“Mm,” Tsukishima nodded, “A twist of fate, or something like that. I missed the deadline for housing, and couldn’t find anything cheap enough to live on my own. Alphas are troublesome but I didn’t really have a choice.” 

“You and Kuroo mesh so well together.” 

“Thank you,” Tsukishima said simply, “We get that a lot. Shock is the usual reaction, when they realize I’m a beta.” 

“You don’t seem like the type to let that get to you, though.” 

Tsukishima smiled, “Not in the least.” 

“Though it must be kind of difficult when he goes into rut, no?”

Tsukishima raised his brow at him, and Oikawa figured he’d said too much. 

“Sorry that’s,” he waved his hand, “That’s probably too personal—”

The beta shrugged, “I don’t particularly mind. What is it you’re curious about?” 

“Oh, no,” Oikawa felt himself blushing, shaking his head, “I just always thought betas weren’t physically able to um—“ he cleared his throat, “Accept an alpha, in that way…” 

“We’re not,” Tsukishima said simply, “So I don’t. But I still take care of him during his rut.” 

Licking his lips, Oikawa leaned in, lowering his voice, “By _take care of_ , do you mean—” 

“Precisely.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened, “But how does an alpha—”

“Alphas and omegas are always incredibly blinded by pleasure,” Tsukishima said easily, waving the thought away with his hand, “So long as the pleasure part is taken care of that’s all that really matters.” 

“That’s incredible,” Oikawa found himself chuckling in disbelief, bringing a hand up to his lips, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like that before.” 

Tsukishima shook his head, “Somehow I feel like that’s easy, compared to raising a child.” 

“Are you that anxious about it?” 

“Not exactly anxious,” Tsukishima admitted, “I know logically Kuroo and I can raise a child perfectly well.”

“Then?” 

“Maternal instinct and logic are both necessary when raising a child,” Tsukishima explained, holding his fingers up, “And I’m afraid I only have one of those things.” 

“Mmm,” Oikawa hummed, putting his hands in his pockets, “More than maternal I think it’s just a parental sort of instinct,” he encouraged, “And that’ll come the moment you hold your baby for the first time.” 

He smiled at the beta, who gave a short kind of smile back, the two of them continuing on down the block. 

“Tsukki! You passed it! It’s this one over here!” 

They stopped walking, turning to see Kuroo calling out to them, and Tsukishima apologized to the omega. “Everything looks the same around here.”

“No worries. I wasn’t paying much attention to the signs anyway.” 

They followed the alphas into the club, though it felt weird calling it that, given how elegant it looked. But elegant or not there were still crowds of people claiming the dance floor, couples pressing their bodies together and rolling their hips in time to the music. 

Tsukishima commenting that he could go for something sweet, so they headed over to the alcohol first. The four of them sat down at the bar, ordering one drink or another, Oikawa and Kuroo ending up with the same drink, though if it was on accident or on purpose no one really knew. 

It didn’t take much, for the drink Oikawa ordered to make his head buzz, but he blamed it on the fact that he’d had some wine with dinner. 

It’d been a long time since he’d been anywhere like this. Tsukishima had been right. It definitely didn’t have that college party kind of vibe, but the club still felt _alive,_ the music pulsing through his body, the lighting making him strangely excited, the buzz in his head making his heart race in a similar rhythm. 

It felt good. 

“Shall we dance?” 

Iwa’s low voice in his ear made him shiver. He nodded, all but smiling, and as Iwa wrapped his arm around his waist to lead him onto the dance floor, Oikawa couldn’t help but lean into him, taking in a few indulgent inhales of the alpha’s scent. 

“I didn’t know you knew how to dance,” Oikawa said, separating himself for a bit, only to be pulled back in, his hips bumping against the alpha’s. 

“Maybe there’s a lot more you don’t know,” Iwa smiled, letting his hands slide down Oikawa’s hips, resting them on the small of his back. 

“Oh?” Oikawa smirked, moving his hips in time to the music, “Full of surprises are you?”

“Nah,” Iwa smiled back, squeezing lightly on the omega’s hips, “I’m an open book.” 

The music was pounding in his ears, making his heart race, making him sort of dizzy—but maybe that was just Iwa’s scent, he wasn’t really sure. The only thing he really knew was that as more people started to crowd the floor, Oikawa just really wanted to show off. 

So maybe his pants weren’t as tight as they used to be. And he had long since stopped wearing golden eyeshadow out in public. But when it came down to grinding down on an alpha, mom or not, Oikawa still had that in him, dammit. 

With his back pressed up against Iwa’s chest, he guided the alpha’s hands down his thighs and Iwa took care of the rest, running large palms over Oikawa’s legs, dipping his head to tease just below Oikawa’s ear, going so far as to let his teeth drag and nibble against the omega’s scent glands. 

Oikawa bit his lip to keep a straight face, rolling his hips into Iwa and reaching up to dig his fingers into the alpha’s hair, encouraging him to keep on nibbling. His other hand slid down his torso and over one of Iwa’s, giving the alpha a soft squeeze which resulted in Iwa giving Oikawa’s thigh a much harder squeeze. 

_“You smell amazing, right now.”_

It was the drag in the alpha’s voice that did it, that caused goosebumps to rush down Oikawa’s arms, that started the tremor that rolled all the way down to his toes. Taking a quick glance around him, Oikawa smirked at the sight of so many eyes, feeling the pride start to swell in his chest. He tilted his head ever so slightly, making a bit of a show out of it, so that his lips were up against Iwa’s ear, “I think the one attracting all these omegas is you, isn’t it?” 

“Then who are the alphas here for, you think?” 

Oikawa laughed, letting Iwa spin him around, pulling their bodies even closer together, “Better not be for you,” Iwa said with a bit of a snarl, showing off a bit of his fangs, and Oikawa shivered again, giggling as he wrapped his arms around Iwa’s neck. 

“I think your scent scares them off anyway,”

“Yeah?” 

“Mhmm…”

“And if it doesn’t?” 

Oikawa thought a moment, before leaning in a bit, and parting his lips for the alpha. Iwa met him halfway, and Oikawa felt that dizzying _rush_ that always came whenever Iwa smelled like this, whenever Iwa claimed him like this, and for a moment everything was left forgotten, until the music picked up again, Oikawa feeling his heart beating against Iwa’s chest. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this. 

They danced a little more, sobering up a bit as the songs continued, meeting up with Kuroo and Tsukishima again and grabbing another round of drinks. Oikawa eventually excused himself to run to the bathroom, and Tsukishima offered to go with him, the two of them chatting and laughing about things they wouldn’t really remember later. 

When they came back out, though, the two alphas were surrounded by a group of four omegas, two men and two women, three of which were leaning towards Iwa, probably because the alpha lacked a bond mark of any kind. 

“Well,” Tsukishima sighed, “They look busy.” 

Oikawa scoffed, offering his hand up to the beta, “In that case, shall we dance?” 

Tsukishima raised his brow, looking at Oikawa doubtfully, “The two of us?” 

“Mother said to never chase an alpha,” Oikawa grinned. 

“Mm,” Tsukishima hummed, taking Oikawa’s hand, “Sounds like a smart lady.” 

It didn’t take very long at all, for Kuroo and Iwa to join them, Kuroo pouncing on Tsukishima from behind, letting out a wounded moan, “Don’t tell me you guys were having fun without us!” 

“We didn’t want to interrupt,” Tsukishima shrugged, though he let Kuroo pull him away from Oikawa. 

Iwa seemed to mimic Kuroo’s behavior, hugging Oikawa from behind and nuzzling him ever so slightly, “What time should we get going?” 

“Oh my god,” Oikawa’s eyes widened, blinking quickly and looking down at his watch, “I really almost forgot—”

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Tsukishima smiled, ensuring them that if they had to go it was more than fine. 

“Sorry it’s just we have a sitter, so—”

“Hey,” Kuroo waved his hand, “Kids take priority right? No worries.” 

“We should definitely do this again,” Tsukishima said, “But I don’t know when we’ll have time once the baby gets here.” 

“We’ll figure something out for sure,” Iwa said, “Thanks for dinner. It was awesome as always.” 

“It was nice getting to know you,” Oikawa added, “And thank you for this—I haven’t been dancing in years.” 

They finished off their goodbyes, the couples agreeing to meet again, and Iwa led Oikawa out, grabbing the omega’s jacket for him before they got to the exit. 

Iwa suggested getting some coffee from the vending machine to sober themselves up a bit, though they were already pretty level headed as it was. Regardless, Oikawa agreed, because he felt like staying with Iwa like this for just a little longer. 

“They’re really great,” Oikawa said, standing over Iwa and pressing the coffee can to his lips, “Kuroo and Tsukishima.” 

Iwa smiled up at him, grabbing his own can from the machine and then standing back up, “I’m glad you like them.” 

“I really do wanna meet up with them again, if we can,” he began walking, Iwa falling into step next to him. 

“I think it’d be fun,” Iwa agreed, “I mean, today was really fun.” 

“It was,” Oikawa smiled up at him, before looking down at his coffee, “Is it weird to say I don’t want to go home? I mean I know Eiji is waiting for us—and that probably sounds really selfish—”

“It’s ok to be selfish sometimes, Tooru.” 

The omega scoffed, clutching to his can, “I think I’m selfish enough already…” he licked his lips, looking up at Iwa again, “Thank you, for tonight.” 

“You can stop thanking me for things,” Iwa took a sip of his own coffee, “Going out together is just a thing couples do, right?” 

Intentionally, because Oikawa had made up his mind to be completely intentional from now on, he slid his hand into Iwa’s, nodding in agreement, “You’re right.” 

“Never thought I’d hear you say that,” he admitted.

Oikawa clicked his tongue, though he laughed, squeezing Iwa’s hand and bringing the can up to his lips again, “Don’t get used to it,” 

“I’ll try not to.”

When they got to Oikawa’s apartment, it was a little past midnight. Eiji was already asleep, Bokuto saying it was the magic of documentaries that made the little alpha pass out. Oikawa thanked him for everything, letting out a tired yawn as he said his goodbyes to the alpha and then closed the door behind him. 

“Ready for bed?” Iwa asked. 

Oikawa nodded, “I just wanna tell Eiji I’m home,” he paused for a moment, before looking up at Iwa, “Will you come with me?” 

“Yeah,” the alpha smiled, “Yeah of course.” 

Iwa followed the omega up the stairs, watching as Oikawa sat down on the bed, inhaling that motherly scent he gave off, feeling his heart swell slightly from the way Oikawa gently shook his son awake. 

“Mommy?” Eiji rubbed his eyes, shifting a bit, rolling over on his pillow to get a better look at his mom. 

“Mhmm,” Oikawa brushed his hair back, “Mr. Iwa is here too.” 

“Hi Mr. Iwa,” Eiji yawned, lids heavy with sleep every time he blinked. 

“Hey, Little Man,” Iwa sat down next to Oikawa, the bed adjusting to his weight, “You have fun with your uncle?” 

Eiji nodded, before looking over at his mom again, “Where did you go?” 

“We went dancing,” Oikawa replied with a grin, “Mommy had lots of fun.” 

“Did you dance with Mr. Iwa?” 

“Mhm. I did.” 

“Is Mommy a good—“ he yawned again, “A good dancer, Mr. Iwa?” 

Iwa chuckled, thinking it was sort of adorable how the little alpha’s speech slurred, “I sure think he is.” 

Eiji nodded, snuggling under the covers a bit and closing his eyes. Oikawa brushed his hair back, kissing his forehead, “Sleep tight, Ei-chan.” 

“Goodnight Mommy.” 

Oikawa stood up, and motioned for Iwa to step forward, so that the alpha could give his good night as well. 

“Goodnight, Eiji,” Iwa bent forward, just as Oikawa had done, kissing Eiji on the forehead. 

The only reply he got were Eiji’s soft snores, but Iwa figured that was already worth something. 

He followed Oikawa out of the room, clinging to the omega while he walked, Oikawa laughing a bit and commenting that it was hard to walk with all of Iwa’s dead weight. 

“Somehow,” Iwa managed, “This is really nice.” 

“Finally getting to sleep?” Oikawa asked, not closing his door when they stepped in, 

“No, coming home with you.” 

Oikawa’s heart stopped, for a short moment, the omega not really wanting to look at the alpha because of his pink cheeks, but absolutely needing to see him at the same time. 

“Yeah,” Oikawa agreed, “It is nice.” 

“And being able to tuck in Eiji,” Iwa added, “That’s nice too.” 

“It was…about time…I think.” 

Iwa pulled Oikawa in, kissing him on his forehead, “Yeah. I think so too.” 

After a few more blush filled kisses, the pair got ready for bed, Iwa grabbing his overnight bag and heading into the bathroom so that he could change. Once Oikawa got his turn at the bathroom, they climbed into bed together, Oikawa snuggling into the alpha’s chest. 

“I want to know more about you,” he said, more to the alpha’s chest than to the alpha himself. 

“Mmm,” Iwa’s reply was a low rumble, now that the alpha was relaxed, “I think you mentioned that already.” 

“But actually,” Oikawa said, “I mean it. I want to know about your family, and how you ended up in Tokyo, and—I wanna see you angry.” 

“What is it with omegas and acts of aggression?” 

“Nothing!” Oikawa argued, “It just—today almost felt like I was meeting a new you. I’ve only ever really seen you angry once. And even that was pretty tame. I mean compared to—did you really break a fridge?” 

Iwa chuckled, squeezing Oikawa a bit as he buried his nose in the omega’s hair, “I don’t want you to see such an uncool side of me. Besides up until now it’s kinda been…I mean I didn’t wanna mess up, and risk losing you and Eiji.” 

Oikawa looked up, placing a soft kiss on his lips, “So are you usually not this calm?” 

Iwa shook his head, “No I am. But I’ve definitely been really careful.” 

Nodding, Oikawa closed his fist over Iwa’s shirt, nuzzling a bit, “I’m sorry for not really noticing…or appreciating…”

“It’s ok,” Iwa said easily, “I know you’ve got a lot—”

“Stop doing that.” 

The alpha blinked, cocking his head a bit as he looked at Oikawa. Oikawa sighed, “I don’t want you to have to try so hard to be calm anymore. If we’re really doing this then I think we should be honest. I know, given my track record you might not fully trust me, but I want you to be able to tell me what you’re really thinking,” Oikawa swallowed a bit, “After seeing Kuroo and Tsukishima I kind of feel like…” 

Iwa kissed his forehead again, “Yeah?” 

Oikawa licked his lips, “Like this relationship has been 80/20. And that’s entirely my fault.” 

Iwa nodded, looking at him for a long while, running his fingers through Oikawa’s hair while he thought. “I think,” he said finally, “You’re right. But I think a bit of it is my fault since I was so lenient about everything, like you said. I don’t think I’m really upset about how we started off. I mean we didn’t kick it off normally by any means,” Iwa gave a slight chuckle, “But I think I am gonna be kind of pissed if it stays that way.” 

“You’d have every right to be…” 

Oikawa was kissed flat on the lips, his breath caught from how quick it was, “Does that mean I can stop being so careful?” 

Iwa was smiling, eyes looking kind of heavy, dark as ever, and it wasn’t even anything all that special, that kind of expression, but Oikawa found himself falling all over again, “Yes,” he nodded, “Please I don’t want you to feel like you’re walking on eggshells all the time either.” 

“Oh,” Iwa shook his head, “I just said that because I was mad the—”

Oikawa shot him a look, and Iwa scoffed, running a hand through his hair, “Right. I’d like that. That’d be a big relief, I think.” 

“Ok,” Oikawa smiled, “New year new us…even if it’s March…” 

Iwa laughed, shifting a bit on the bed, resting his arm on Oikawa’s waist, “All that aside—you know you’re a really good dancer?” 

“Mm?” Oikawa snuggled in closer, “You think so?” 

“I’m stuck between wanting to show you off and locking you up so no one will see you.” 

“Locking me up does fit in with your stalking tendencies,” Oikawa whispered, and Iwa bit him, Oikawa letting out a soft kind of squeal, giggling into the alpha’s hold. 

“Are you _ever_ going to let that one go?” 

“No,” Oikawa shook his head, “Never—”

“You know if I hadn’t chased after you that day then we probably wouldn’t even be here—”

Oikawa grabbed the alpha’s lips, holding him steady as he leaned in for a soft kiss, eyes fluttering closed and then opening back up, “I know,” he said, smiling timidly at Iwa, “That’s why…I don’t want to let it go.” 

Iwa faltered for a moment, before burying his nose in Oikawa’s hair again, “That’s completely cheating, Oikawa Tooru.” 

The omega smiled, sighing in complete satisfaction from the way Iwa’s scent was enveloping him, starting to feel the heaviness of sleep begin to take over. “I never said I played fair, Iwaizumi Hajime.” 

Iwa kissed him again, and a sweet sound slipped out of Oikawa’s lips, before the alpha pulled away again, looking at Oikawa with the kind of expression that made Oikawa want nothing more than to stay in his arms like this for as long as he possibly could. 

“If that’s the case,” Iwa said with that soft smile, “Then hit me with everything you got.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy.


	36. Chapter 36

“And Akaashi can’t do your tie because…?” 

“Tooru,” Bokuto huffed, “How am I supposed to tell him I don’t know how to do a tie? That’s so uncool.” 

Tooru rolled his eyes, trying to undo the knot Bokuto had somehow managed, “I’m sure he’d be more than happy to do it for you.” 

“Tooru. Tooru. How dependable can I be if I can't even do my own ties?” 

“I feel like Akaashi-san would probably like it though,” Iwa called from the living room, not paying too much attention because he was racing Eiji, “Omegas always eat stuff like that up.” 

Tooru nodded, “What Iwa said.” 

“Can you just do my dam— _dang_ tie already? I’m gonna be late.” 

“Well I’d already be _done_ if someone hadn’t twisted it up into such a fine freaking mess!” 

“Alright alright you’ve been yelling at me this whole time!” 

“Uncle Bokuto Uncle Bokuto!” Eiji came running up to him, the game either finished or paused, Bokuto wasn’t sure, but regardless of it Eiji was beaming up at him, “When you get married can I go to the wedding!” 

“Sure thing!” Bokuto ruffled Eiji’s hair, “I’ll make you my best man, how’s that sound?” 

“Yes!” Eiji’s eyes lit up, throwing a fist into the air, “Awesome! I’ll be the best best man!” 

“Alright, alright,” Iwa tried, reigning him in, “Let’s get our lunch on—”

“There’s still a _long_ time before that happens Eiji,” Tooru explained as the alpha ran into the kitchen, Tooru shooting Bokuto a _look_ all the while _,_ “Even if they _are_ going to be living together now.” 

Bokuto gave a wide smile, “Why are you so against that?” 

“I’m not against it,” Tooru said simply, finally undoing the knot and starting over with the tie, “I just don’t want you heartbroken again.” 

“I’m not gonna be heartbroken. Akaashi and I are in this for the long haul.” 

“Mm,” the omega nodded, changing the subject, “Where’s the wedding at?” 

“Ginza,” Bokuto replied, taking a step back once Tooru finished adjusting his collar. 

“Wow, fancy.” 

“Yeah,” Bokuto shrugged, “The groom is some top-rate businessman or something, I don’t know. How do I look?” He spread out his arms, so that Tooru could properly judge. 

“Very handsome,” Tooru smiled, “Reminds me of third year.” 

Bokuto’s expression dropped, “I hope I look better than I did in third year.” 

“Well you look older,” Tooru brought a hand up to his chin, “Not sure if that classifies as better, though—”

“Hardy har _har,_ I’m _dying_ at how funny you are—”

“You look SEXY Uncle Bokuto!” Eiji cried out from the kitchen counter, Iwa nearly dropping the sandwich he was making for him. 

“Eiji!” the alpha panicked, wondering if maybe there was something in the video game he hadn’t caught, but to his relief, Oikawa shot his son a nasty little glare, and Iwa knew he was off the hook. 

“What did I say about repeating that word?”

“But Mommy it’s true!! It’s just like in your drama—”

“Eiji, sweetheart,” Tooru smiled from across the room, “Eat your lunch, ok? Mr. Iwa is working hard to make it for you.” 

“Yes Mommy!” 

Bokuto snickered, leaning in dangerously close, “You let him watch a drama?” 

“He wouldn’t go to bed,” Tooru snapped, “And one drama isn’t gonna kill him. Anyway,” he clapped his hands, before making a spinning motion with his finger, “Turn around, let me make sure you’re all set.” 

Bokuto did as he was told, spinning for his friend and waiting for approval. 

“Mm,” the omega nodded, “Eiji’s right. Definitely sexy. I think it’s your hair.” 

“It’d be weird to have it gelled up at a wedding,” Bokuto scratched the back of his head, “But this feels kind of weird too.” 

“I think it’s fine,” Tooru reached up to brush it a bit to the side, “So long as it’s not in your eyes,” 

“Yeah,” Bokuto pulled at his hair, “I was thinking it was time for a trim—”

“Well it’s too late for that now. What time do you have to pick up Akaashi?” 

“Crap,” Bokuto looked down at his watch, already heading towards the door, “Thanks for the tie!” 

“Have fun at the wedding Uncle Bokuto!” Eiji cried out after him, sandwich half shoved in his mouth. 

“Slow down there, buddy,” Iwa chuckled, pushing the water closer to Eiji, “Chew your food.” 

“Thanks little man,” Bokuto called, “See y’all tomorrow!” 

It didn’t take very long for Bokuto to get to Akaashi’s apartment from Tooru’s house, since the alpha had decided to drive. He didn’t know how long the reception would last, and he didn’t want to risk missing the last train. 

Akaashi looked as gorgeous as usual, when Bokuto picked him up, but especially so since the omega was in a stone grey suit. It looked tailored, the way it hugged Akaashi’s hips, and Bokuto got the sudden inclination to squeeze those hips, but he figured it’d be better to wait after the festivities were over. 

“Ready?” He smiled, his eyes following Akaashi as the omega stepped out of the apartment and locked his door. Akaashi smiled back at him, “It’s the perfect time for a wedding, don’t you think?” He looked out to the courtyard below, and Bokuto followed his gaze, nodding in agreement. With the sun setting, the cherry blossoms almost looked like melting snow.

“The cherry blossoms always give you that special kind of feeling, you know?” Bokuto said, the two of them falling into step as they made their way to Bokuto’s car.

“Mm,” Akaashi agreed, “Something tells me we’ll be seeing a lot more of them.” 

Bokuto chuckled, “Well if it’s their wedding day they might as well go all out, right?”

“Yes,” Akaashi said, stepping into the car, “I suppose you’re right about that.” 

“Would you want a spring wedding too?” Bokuto asked, once he’d gotten the car started. 

Akaashi seemed to perk up, looking at him with wide eyes, “I’ve…never really thought about it,” he admitted. 

“Me neither,” Bokuto said, “Well I mean—mostly. Summer’s too hot to have a big party. And spring has cherry blossoms so I guess it’s the default.” 

“Mm,” Akaashi nodded, “Winter is too cold unless you go overseas.” 

“I feel like getting married overseas would kind of be a pain,” Bokuto admitted, “Plus not everyone would be able to fly out.” 

“I’ve never liked the idea very much,” Akaashi added, “It sounds like a lot of money.”

“No joke,” Bokuto chuckled, glancing at the omega, “Speaking of lots of money—what does this Ushijima guy do, exactly? Because a wedding in Ginza—I googled, Akaashi.”

The omega smiled, “You googled?”

“I did. And it’s like crazy expensive. So I’m curious.”

A small cringe fell on Akaashi’s face that he hoped wasn’t too obvious, the omega choosing his words carefully, “I’m not too sure myself…I believe he manages a few different businesses…”

“Family run?” 

The omega cleared his throat, “More than likely? I suppose…”

“It’s illegal, isn’t it?” They came to a red light, so Bokuto looked Akaashi dead in the face, and Akaashi licked his lips, before tugging at his bottom one with his teeth. 

“I try not to ask Teru too many questions,” he explained, “But…” 

“Well, to each their own,” Bokuto shrugged, “So long as we don’t all end up in jail for attending a wedding—”

“Bokuto,” Akaashi clicked his tongue.

The alpha chuckled, “Hey, you think they’ll pat us down when we get there? Make sure we don’t have any weapons on us?” 

_“Bokuto!”_ Akaashi clicked his tongue again, though it was followed by a laugh this time, the omega nudging the alpha on the shoulder, “I doubt it’s that serious—”

“Well how would I know, Akaashi? _I_ ,” he brought a palm up to his chest in a show of humility, “Have never engaged in illegal activities.” 

“I doubt it will be all that,” Akaashi assured with a smile, “This is more of a party in any case. The wedding ceremony was already held between family members.” 

“In other words,” Bokuto’s face became serious, “Top secret underground stuff.” 

“Bokuto!” Akaashi was laughing again, his eyes crinkling at the corners as Bokuto continued to make really bad Yakuza jokes. 

To their surprise, they were in fact patted down when they got to the venue. Bokuto wanted to make a joke to Akaashi about it, but from the look of the guy patting them down he figured it’d be best to just keep quiet for now. 

Although there were quite a few guests, the married couple was nowhere in sight as of yet, which Bokuto found sort of strange, considering the dinner would begin to be served rather soon. People were already shuffling around and trying to get to their respective tables for it too.

“So are the guests of honor gonna show up or what?” Bokuto asked, leaning into Akaashi once they’d found their table. 

Akaashi finished taking a sip of his water before answering, “From what I understand, the actually marriage ceremony ended just a bit ago.” 

“The family only one?” 

Akaashi nodded, “The Ushijima family is rather…traditional.” 

Bokuto scoffed, “So are they gonna miss dinner because they’re—“ the alpha faltered, the expression on Akaashi’s face answering the question for him. He leaned in even closer, making sure the other guests wouldn’t hear, “Are you telling me they’re bonding right now?” 

The omega’s hand on his knee made Bokuto sit upright for some reason, clearing his throat while Akaashi gave a single nod. 

In the past, once and alpha and omega were married, the omega was mated (sometimes in the presence of those around them) and knotted immediately after, in order to begin the fertility process as soon as possible. The couples’ scent would also keep other alphas in line, once the couple rejoined the party. Dinner was always served after the ceremony to keep the guests busy while the couple bonded…among other things 

The thought of it alone was already making Bokuto slightly weak in the knees. There was something a little carnal about it. Marking your omega and then immediately parading them around, the scent and mark letting everyone know they belonged to you and no one else. For a brief moment, he wondered what Akaashi might look like with his mark on his neck.

“Wow,” Bokuto managed, clearing his throat again and returning to the conversation at hand, “I haven’t heard of that since—”

“Isn’t it romantic?” A female omega (young, from the looks of it, though she was drinking sake, so at least 20) jumped into the conversation, eyes wide and bright, her palms extended in excitement, “Belonging to your alpha like that—it’s gotta be one of the best things about marrying into the Ushijima family!” 

Both Akaashi and Bokuto looked at each other, neither of them recognizing this girl, but it didn’t seem to matter, because she seemed intent on talking anyway. 

“Especially when you think about how hard it was for Terushima-sama,” she gave a sad hum, “But it’s all worth it in the end! He got Wakatoshi out of it after all! If you ask me, he’s the most handsome of the brothers.” 

Akaashi blinked, eyeing the girl, “I wasn’t aware he had brothers.” 

The girl held up her hand wriggling her fingers, “There’s four of them! Well they’re all half. You know how it goes. Wakatoshi is technically the only legitimate one. It’s why he’s inheriting everything.” 

“Makes sense…” Bokuto said hesitantly, wondering if this kind of conversation was appropriate. 

“Are you close with the Ushijima family?” Akaashi asked gently, giving a friendly smile to the girl. 

“Ah, I guess you could say that,” she bit her lip, “My father has ties to the Ushijimas. I’m one of three daughters though—and an omega at that so there’s not really any…” her voice trailed off, and Bokuto and Akaashi exchanged a look where they both seemed to agree. It seemed like she had had hopes to marry into the family. 

Their assumptions were blown completely out of the water, though, when Hanzo came up to the table, and the young girl nearly choked on her sake, going red up to her ears. The alpha took the cup from her hands, handing it off to one of the waiters that was passing by. 

“Didn’t I tell you to slow down?” Hanzo shot the girl a glare.

“I am going slow! And I can drink now you know—I’m a full fledged adult—!”

“A day over twenty does not classify anyone as an adult. You’re a brat who’s too eager to drink—”

“I’m not a brat!” she said it quickly, as though she were trying to hold onto him with her voice, “I’ve been pacing myself properly.” She gave a soft smile that made Akaashi sort of nostalgic, the kind that was hoping to seek someone’s favor. 

“Your entire face is red,” Hanzo told her, “How many drinks have you had?” 

That only seemed to further her blush, and for a moment Akaashi wondered if Hanzo was a complete idiot. 

“I’ve only had half a glass. Before you took it away,” she rolled her eyes in an attempt to look careless, but they widened as she looked at him again, “Shouldn’t you be taking care of the newlyweds? Did you come just to visit me?” She threw a flirty smile in his direction, but whether he caught it or not Akaashi wasn’t sure. 

“They’ll be making their entrance soon,” Hanzo said simply, turning to Akaashi and Bokuto, “I just felt the need to apologize in your place to these guests,” he gave a little bow, “She’s rather talkative but please excuse her.” 

“Oh,” Bokuto waved his hand, “It’s no bother—”

“It’s good to see you again, Akaashi-san.”Hanzo lifted his head, meeting Akaashi’s eyes in a sharp gaze. 

Akaashi stiffened, not really expecting to be addressed directly. “Oh,” he said, nodding a bit, “It’s good to see you as well.” His heart rate spiked however, upon feeling Bokuto’s palm on his thigh, the alpha squeezing it somewhat possessively. 

“I’m afraid I have to take my seat at the head table,” Hanzo explained, excusing himself, but not before he put his hand on the omega girl’s shoulder, “Don’t cause trouble for them, Mei.” 

He left without another word, and Mei turned to Akaashi, looking like she was about to cry, “You’re friends with Hanzo?” 

Bokuto turned to look at Akaashi as well, burning with as much curiosity as Mei was. 

“Oh,” Akaashi shook his head, “No. He picks Teru and I up from our lessons. That’s really the only time we’ve spoken.” 

“I see,” that only made the girl seem all the more solemn, “How kind of him to come all this way for someone he barely knows…”

She stopped, since Bokuto leaned over, quickly rubbing his nose into Akaashi’s neck to scent mark the omega. Akaashi giggled, trying to get him to stop. 

Mei seemed to perk up again, eyeing the two of them, “Oh! Are you two dating?”

“Yeap!” Bokuto said proudly, letting Akaashi go but keeping his hand on the omega’s leg, the waiters now coming around to deliver a salad, “Going on almost a year now.” 

That changed Mei’s attitude entirely, since it seemed to be that Akaashi was no longer a threat. “That’s so romantic! How did you two meet?” 

Akaashi and Bokuto looked at each other, and Akaashi shrugged, which was enough of a go-ahead for Bokuto to start talking. 

“Well he owns this bakery, you see. The sweets are really good—best I’ve ever had. But that’s not why I kept coming back.” 

“How bold of you Bokuto,” Akaashi smiled, putting his hand into Bokuto’s palm, “He started bringing me food, since I work rather late.” 

“I just wanted to make sure you were eating properly!” 

Mei was drinking it all up with wide eyes, clapping her hands and smiling broadly, “That’s really sweet! I love love stories!” 

They chatted a bit more, Bokuto managing to embarrass himself but it was cute, mostly, the couple trading light touches and soft caresses as they gave their love story. Mei was enchanted by it all, trying to describe her own yet-to-happen love story and the struggles that came with loving a man she didn’t name (though it didn’t take a genius to guess who that man was). By the time dessert was ready to come out, the married couple finally made their grand entrance. 

It was something to see. 

Both were in traditional garb, Terushima wearing a more-than-just-expensive kimono, bright red with golden accents that were so intricate Akaashi wondered just how long it took to make fabric like that. His obi was gold with red accents, a giant bow around his back that made his frame look small and attractive. 

More than how they looked, though, was how the couple _smelled._ It didn’t take seeing a bond mark to know that the couple had, in fact, bonded. It was made painfully obvious through their scent, and in that special kind of glow Teru was giving off, Ushijima standing proudly by his side. 

Akaashi let in a shaky inhale, and Bokuto bumped his nose against the omega’s cheek, asking if everything was ok. 

“Yeah,” Akaashi smiled, “They just have such a strong aura around them.” 

“I feel like anyone would,” Bokuto whispered, “After you finally get to become mates.” 

“That’s true…” Akaashi considered, “They look really happy.” 

Terushima was laughing at something Ushijima had said, pressing himself close to the alpha while Ushijima gave the omega a tender nuzzle. Akaashi had never seen the alpha act so soft before. 

The couple cut the cake first, so that everyone would have something to munch on while friends and family gave their speeches. 

Akaashi had his own speech prepared as well, after months of Teru insisting on it, so once all the family members had spoken, he was the first to go. 

Once all the speeches were done, it was time for a celebratory glass of champagne, of which Akaashi had half of (mostly because he didn’t want to risk it) but it was fine because Bokuto finished the rest for him, and by then there were already quite a few people on the dance floor. 

The night was full of dancing, and laughing, and Bokuto pulling Mei out to dance with them so she wouldn’t be stuck at the table the whole night. 

Although Akaashi wasn’t able to talk to Teru very much, he’d already kind of figured it’d end up that way, since he had to deal with the formalities of it all, but even if he hadn’t, Akaashi kind of guessed Ushijima wouldn’t let him out of his sights. The couple was attached at the hip the entire night. 

A newly formed bond seemed really incredible.

At one point throughout the dancing, Mei separated herself from the two of them, heading over to the main table and stopping just in front of Hanzo. She folded her hands behind her back in a girlish manner, and though Bokuto and Akaashi were dancing together, they couldn’t help but watch as she clearly stumbled with her words, cheeks bright and red while she spoke to the alpha. 

“You kinda can’t help but root for her,” Bokuto murmured, kissing Akaashi on the cheek as they swayed to the music. Akaashi smiled, returning the kiss and nodding his head, “I’m not sure if he’s noticed, though.” 

“He looked kind of dense,” Bokuto agreed. 

Akaashi couldn’t help but find that kind of ironic, considering who Hanzo worked for. But regardless he was also silently cheering Mei on, watching as the omega bit her lip and fidgeted awkwardly in front of Hanzo. 

Their snooping was interrupted by Terushima, however, the omega coming up to Akaashi and meeting him in a warm embrace, looking at Bokuto while he kept a hold on the omega, “You don’t mind if I steal him do you?” 

Bokuto smiled, offering up his congratulations to the omega, before he reluctantly let go of Akaashi. 

“It’s impossible to pee alone in this thing,” Teru admitted in a brash tone, grabbing Akaashi by the arm, “Help me please I’m gonna _explode—_ ”

Akaashi chuckled, helping Terushima towards the bathroom, telling Bokuto that he’d be back in a moment. 

No one seemed to be in the bathroom, and upon confirmation of the fact, Terushima let out a long sigh, practically falling onto Akaashi. 

“Ow! Teru—Teru I’ll fall—!”

“Akaashiiiii,” the omega whined, “I’m so _tired!_ Ushi wasn’t gentle at all! I mean not that I mind but—we still have all of tonight to get through!” 

“I’m sure it was a great experience,” Akaashi rolled his eyes, trying to push Teru into a stall. 

“ _God_ Akaashi it was so _good!_ He was such a beast! My neck is still throbbing—”

“Ok, ok—” Akaashi scoffed, “Now you’re just showing off—”

“Well I can’t help it,” Terushima hummed, “It’s my wedding day.” 

The pair struggled, Akaashi doing his best to lift the kimono up while Teru peed. He wished he could say this was the first time this had ever happened to them. But the familiarity between them was almost a bit too much. 

“This feels way too weird when we’re not drunk—”

“Just hurry up and pee,” Akaashi groaned, “What kind of silk is this kimono even made of? It feels like water—”

“I know right! I feel like I’m wearing nothing!” 

Akaashi chuckled, shaking his head, “Pee already.” 

“Oh yeah,” Terushima managed, once they were back outside washing their hands, “How’s the food? I haven’t eaten much of it yet.” 

“Really delicious,” Akaashi nodded, “I can almost taste how much it cost.”

Terushima laughed obnoxiously at that, “Well you know how Toshi is,” his cheeks warmed upon him saying the alpha’s name. 

“You look really happy, Teru,” Akaashi smiled at his friend, squeezing his arm. 

“I _feel_ really happy,” Teru laughed, “Being bonded is—it’s such this crazy high—”

The door to the bathroom burst open at that moment, Mei’s eyes red and puffy, the girl stopping dead in her tracks when she saw the other omegas. 

“Oh,” she sniffled, “Sorry I—my stomach was hurting—” she tried to explain some more, but just started crying again, shaking where she stood. 

Terushima and Akaashi shared a sympathetic smile, Teru being the first to walk up and embrace her, “Was it Hanzo again?” 

Akaashi blinked, wondering if everyone knew about this girl’s feeling but the man himself.

Mei quickly shook her head, apologizing, “I shouldn’t be making a scene on your big day—”

“What happened?” Akaashi joined them, giving Mei soothing pats along her back. 

She sniffled, hiccuping as she explained her story, “I-I asked him to dance and he said no. Which—Wh-Which is fine because I figured he’d say that. But so then—then I asked him if we could talk outside,” she sniffled again, “But he also said no. But I get that—I get that since he’s working but—two weeks ago he said I looked good in navy and—and so I got a navy dress even though my sisters are in purple and—and I asked him if he liked it and he said—he said—“ she started sobbing all over again, and neither Akaashi nor Terushima could get the rest out of her. 

Although Akaashi advised against it, Terushima just let them all back out into the main hall, flagging down a waiter and making Mei chug down a glass of sake. 

“Nothing you can do about men like that sweetheart.” 

“Teru!” Akaashi scolded, trying to give the young omega advice that was just a little bit better than that, but the alcohol seemed to calm her down a bit, and by then one of her sisters had come to take her off of Terushima’s hands. 

“Young love sucks ass,” Terushima declared, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“How old is Hanzo?” Akaashi asked.

Terushima shrugged, “Like our age? They’re about 9ish years apart I’m guessing.” 

“That sounds hard,” Akaashi lamented. 

Terushima rolled his eyes, “Her fault for falling in love with _Hanzo_ of all people.” 

“You can’t help who you fall in love with, Yuuji—”

“Besides, first loves never last! And she’s so pretty! She can definitely do better than a fucked up guy like _Hanzo—_ ”

Akaashi couldn’t help but smirk, “First loves don’t last? Are you not the one that just married your first love?” 

“I have never said Ushijima was my first love.” 

The look of disbelief said everything for Akaashi, “Teru. Honestly.” 

“Speaking of love!” Teru grinned, quickly changing the subject, “We haven’t been able to talk but—have you moved in with your man yet?” 

The change in Akaashi’s expression was immediate, a shy yet proud smile taking claim of his lips, “Not yet. Nothing’s finalized in paper, anyway. But I’m sort of living in between his apartment and my own right now until the lease ends this month—”

Terushima squealed, “That’s so cute! Are you guys fucking like bunnies? Don’t lie to me, I know you are. Have you thought about bonding? Bonding is so _good_ Akaashi. They go into this whole other zone. It’s like their inner alpha just comes out for the _claim—”_

“Ok now I _know_ you’re showing off—”

Terushima giggled, biting his lip, “Sorry, I can’t help it.” 

Ushijima joined them just then, accompanied by Bokuto, and it was sort of overwhelming having so much alpha all at once. Particularly so from Ushijima, all things considered. Akaashi guessed that was just what happened after an alpha claimed his omega. Something about that sent shivers down his spine. He couldn’t help but wonder what Bokuto might smell like after bonding.

The group talked for a bit, catching up on frivolities and making a few comments about the current politics, before Terushima called that all hopelessly boring, and suggested some champagne to pair with another round of dancing. 

Akaashi figured he’d be fine with a glass, since they would probably be heading back soon anyway, and if Bokuto was there then he didn’t really have anything to worry about. 

The rest of the night happened in a bit of a blur, Akaashi’s body going hot, but not _too_ hot, intoxicated by the delicious scent of vanilla and sticking as close to Bokuto as he could manage. 

When he started to feel really dizzy, the alcohol reaching its peak, he figured it was time to go, and so the couple said their goodbyes to Teru and Ushijima, as well as Mei and a few other people that had been sitting at their table. 

But it seemed that Bokuto was reaching his limit too, because once all the goodbyes were said, and they’d made it through the parking lot to their car, rather than start driving, Bokuto just leaned over, cupped Akaashi’s face and forced his tongue into the roof of the omega’s mouth. 

Akaashi gave a sound that was a mix of a whine and a moan, the two of them indulging as much as they could within the confines of the car. There was nothing Akaashi loved more than Bokuto’s hands roaming his skin. Though as of right now, he’d have to settle for the alpha’s hands over his clothes, because they were still in a _parking lot_ for god sakes, but that fifteen-again feeling had Akaashi giggling into the alpha’s mouth every few moments. 

When the giggles didn’t turn into moans, that is. Because Bokuto had become quite fixated on that spot in the omega’s mouth, pinching Akaashi’s nipples through the fabric of his shirt all the while.

Although they hadn’t gotten undressed, exactly, Bokuto’s tie had come off, along with both of their jackets, and some way or another, Akaashi’s top button of his pants was undone, and the omega couldn’t help but wonder when Bokuto had managed to do that. 

“Ok I gotta,” Bokuto groaned, “I gotta drive—”

“One more,” Akaashi pulled him back in, tracing the alpha’s lips with his tongue, moaning when Bokuto grabbed the back of his neck, and deepened the kiss. 

When they finally did manage to pull away, they sat in silence for a few moments, both looking rather flushed. For the most part, the alcohol in his head had cleared, and so Akaashi giggled, being the first one to break the silence. 

“I like the way you kiss, Bokuto.” 

“I like the way _you_ kiss!” Bokuto immediately replied, “Your lips are always so soft!” 

Akaashi leaned over to kiss the alpha on the cheek, while Bokuto fumbled with his keys, “I’m glad.” 

“This was fun,” Bokuto smiled at him, “I’ve only ever been to like one wedding I think.” 

“Mm,” Akaashi nodded, “Though I suppose everyone’s getting to that age.” 

“Everyone’s finally looking to settle down,” Bokuto chuckled, “They sure looked happy though.” 

“I’ve never really seen Teru like that,” Akaashi flushed a bit, looking out the window as Bokuto pulled out of the parking garage, “It was like all those stereotypes about bonding are true.” 

“Yeah,” Bokuto chuckled, “But imagine bonding and then having to entertain a room full of what—a hundred plus people? How many people were there you think?” 

“Definitely at least a hundred,” Akaashi nodded, “That sounds kind of awful.” 

“Right! That’s what I was thinking,” Bokuto laughed, “If I bond with someone I just wanna laze around in bed and like—I don’t know— _not_ have to deal with a party right after?” 

Akaashi was laughing now too, “I think it was more troublesome for Terushima—”

“Uh, _yeah._ Have you _seen_ his mate? Akaashi that Ushijima guy would break _me_ —”

Akaashi brought his hand up to his mouth to try and control his laughter, shaking his head, “That’s a horrible image! Why would you give me that image!” 

“Ok ok, sorry, topic change topic change,” Bokuto grinned, checking his mirrors before changing lanes, “What happened with Mei? I saw her run to the bathroom crying.” 

“Mm,” Akaashi’s laughter died down, “I’m not too sure—it seems Hanzo didn’t like her dress.” 

“That’s kind of an asshole move.” 

“Hanzo?” Akaashi’s eyes widened, looking at Bokuto curiously. 

“I don’t like that guy,” Bokuto crinkled up his nose.

Leaning in a little bit, Akaashi couldn’t help but smile a bit. He asked why, though he already knew the answer. 

Bokuto shrugged, “I just think it’s weird when alphas try and come onto omegas that are obviously taken.” 

The smile on Akaashi’s face grew, “All he said was it was good to see me.” 

“That’s another thing,” Bokuto glared at the road ahead of him, “What’s with stating the obvious? It’s always good to see you. He didn’t have to say it like _that_.” 

There was a certain gleam to Akaashi’s eyes, his heart beating hard against his chest. He’d never really seen Bokuto jealous before. And maybe it was a little mean, but he pressed it just a bit more. “Like what?” 

Bokuto glanced at him for a moment, before noticeably tightening his grip on the wheel, “Like he wanted you.” 

The alpha’s voice dropped so low that Akaashi got shivers, his body starting to heat up all over again. 

“Well it’s fine,” Bokuto said, the natural cheer returning to his voice, “Once we’re bonded then that sort of thing won’t matter anymore.” He smiled over at Akaashi, looking at him expectantly, as if he were waiting for praise. 

Akaashi smiled back, before glancing out the window again, “We could bond now and then there’d be nothing for you to worry about.” 

The stop was abrupt, and for a moment Akaashi thought they’d crashed, but Bokuto just seemed to have almost missed a red light.

They looked at each other, a strange silence filling the car. 

“Do you mean that?” 

“Huh?” 

Silence took over for another moment, before Akaashi finally realized what he’d said. A breath caught in his chest, “Oh,” he licked his lips, “Forgive me. I think I meant that as— or—well people probably shouldn’t say those things without meaning them. Sorry I still don’t get proper pacing for a—it’s just when I’m with you I get so happy—”

“I don’t have a ring.” 

Akaashi’s mouth went dry, blinking at the alpha, “What?” 

“To propose with,” Bokuto said, looking over his shoulder before he made a turn, “I don’t have a ring.” 

The world slowed, Akaashi’s heart heavy and loud, a short gasp caught right in his throat, “Are—is that you proposing?” 

“When it comes to timing, that’s something I suck at too. All I know is how I feel about you right now. And right now I love you,” Bokuto pulled to another stop, and Akaashi realized they were already at the alpha’s house. 

“If that’s too weird then it’s me joking around. But if you’ll have me then I can get the paperwork and we can go look for a ring first thing tomorrow.” 

Akaashi sat in silence for a long moment, looking at the truth in the alpha’s eyes, not breathing because he _couldn’t_ , and feeling his bottom lip start to tremble, because more than anything else he felt like crying, but crying out of surprise, or maybe confusion, or maybe happiness, he wasn’t really sure, the only thing he really knew was that the shine in Bokuto’s eyes that was burning as bright as the day the alpha had first asked him for courtship. Akaashi loved that expression.

“Yes,” Akaashi twitched a little, as if he were unaware he’d spoken in the first place, but as the realization dawned on him, he nodded his head, letting out an incredulous laugh and solidifying the fact, “Yes!” 

Bokuto said nothing, just got out of the car and practically ran to the other side, pulling Akaashi out and kissing him hard on the lips. Akaashi moaned into him, adrenaline shooting down his spine, excited jitters coursing through his body the tighter Bokuto held him. 

“I mean it,” Bokuto groaned, “I’m really proposing—”

“I’m really accepting—“

Bokuto pulled away for a moment, digging a hand into his pocket and struggling with his keys so that they could get inside. He nearly broke the door down in the process, but as soon as they were behind closed doors they were kissing again, Akaashi caught in the alpha’s embrace while Bokuto’s large hands cupped his face. 

“I love you—”

“I love you too—”

“Do you mean it? Are we getting married Akaashi?” 

Akaashi laughed into their kiss, pulling Bokuto even closer, struggling between a flurry of kisses, “Yes—if you want it—I want it—”

“I’ll get you a ring,” Bokuto held onto Akaashi’s face, squishing the omega’s cheeks and kissing him all over, “A proper ring. And cherry blossoms—and that big kitchen—anything you want Akaashi—I’ll get you anything—”

Bringing his hands up to Bokuto’s wrists, Akaashi stood ever so slightly on his tiptoes to meet the alpha in a kiss, “The only thing I need is your bite.” 

A squeal ripped at his throat when he was picked up, because being picked up by Bokuto like this never got old, especially not when the alpha had gotten into the habit of throwing Akaashi onto the bed, because that always meant that the omega was about to be ravaged. 

Akaashi wanted to be ravaged. 

“Are you sure—we’re not—we don’t have to—“ Bokuto tried to speak between kisses again, though his actions didn’t match his words, because he was already tugging at Akaashi’s tie, working to get both of their clothes off. 

Akaashi was just as breathless, doing his best to get rid of as much clothing as quickly as possible, and managing as many kisses as he could in between, “Is there anything stopping us?” 

Bokuto stopped for a moment, and for that moment, Akaashi thought maybe the alpha would decide against it. But then Bokuto smiled, flashing a devil of a grin that only came every so often.

_“Not a damn thing.”_

Akaashi felt his heart stop—actually felt it stop—and suddenly Bokuto was there, hovering above him, that familiar heat pressing up against him, and suddenly they were connected, Akaashi’s eyes rolling back in a pleasure filled moan.

It felt like the first time. 

When Bokuto had made Akaashi’s body quiver and his throat tremble with nothing but a few languid strokes. 

The first time when Bokuto had been so gentle—so _loving_ but still so _alpha,_ where more than the fact that Bokuto was inside him, more than the throbbing heat that hit his core was how close their bodies were pressed up against each other; how Akaashi could feel Bokuto breathing against his neck, how the alpha’s skin seemed to touch every last bit of Akaashi’s. 

It was their sweat mixing together. The teeth on their skin and pulling on their lips. It was Akaashi tossing his head back to gasp for air, and Bokuto cutting it short by biting licking up the omega’s pale neck. It was the shivers every times Akaashi fisted Bokuto’s hair, because the omega really did love him with his hair down, the way his natural hair felt between his fingers, and each time he tugged just a bit Bokuto would give a little growl, Akaashi sinking further into his alpha’s pleasure. 

It was Akaashi’s sultry scent, and Bokuto’s sweet vanilla filling up the entirety of the room, claiming it as their own, drowning the small space in everything that was just them.

It was being held like this, in Bokuto’s arms, chest to chest and face to face in a way so intimate Akaashi could never begin to describe—could never hope to accurately recreate a feeling like this—wouldn’t want to—because in this moment it was just them, just _them_ and nothing else, him and Bokuto and this _feeling_ that made him never want this moment to end. 

Because there was nothing carnal about it. Bokuto hadn’t become a beast, and Akaashi wasn’t blinded by erotic pleasure. 

Drunk on the alpha’s tongue, maybe. Mind slowly melting into incapacitated spirals from the way their hips rolled against each other in soft, measured moments, most definitely. But not blind. He could see Bokuto right in front of him, bright and clear, and for a moment Akaashi wondered if he were truly seeing everything for the first time. 

Bokuto’s fingers on his scent glands made him shiver, and when the alpha looked up at him, Akaashi didn’t need to wait for him to ask. He tilted up his neck, submitting completely before Bokuto, closing his eyes and waiting for the alpha to bite. 

It was sharp, Bokuto’s teeth sinking into his skin, so sudden that Akaashi stopped breathing. 

In that moment Akaashi saw nothing, but felt everything, his world flashing white and his senses flaring with the scent of vanilla. 

Bokuto’s scent was the last thing he remembered, before everything went dark.

* * *

 

When Akaashi came to, he was wearing underwear, feeling somewhat refreshed but most of all warm. The memories filled his head like a warm drink, spreading pleasantly throughout his entire body. 

There was an incredibly wonderful scent filling his nose, the alpha’s presence all around him, and Akaashi couldn’t help but begin to purr, because Bokuto was spooning him, and Akaashi really loved when the alpha did that. 

“Akaashi…?” 

Bokuto’s voice was small. A bit like the one he used when he was embarrassed about something. There was a small tinge of anxiety to it that Akaashi was able to catch, perhaps because of their newly formed bond, perhaps because it was just that obvious. 

Akaashi hummed, pressing himself closer to Bokuto, snuggling a bit deeper under the covers, “What time is it?” 

“Is your body ok?” 

It sent a sharp jolt through Akaashi, because he’d never heard Bokuto’s voice sound like that before. 

“Yes,” he nodded, “I feel—”

“Do you regret it?” 

Again, Akaashi jolted, feeling his own anxiety spike. He’d never gotten to bite Bokuto in return. If it was like that then, his own bond mark would heal. 

“I…I don’t regret it,” he trembled, gripping at the blankets, “I—do you—?”

Immediately Bokuto was at his scent glands, nuzzling and giving them full attention, turning Akaashi over so that they could face each other. 

“Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean to make you anxious it’s just—you completely blacked out—I got so scared—”

Akaashi nuzzled Bokuto back, able to sense the alpha’s own anxiety. “How long was I out for?” 

“Only about ten minutes but,” the pain on the alpha’s face nearly broke Akaashi’s heart, “I had no idea what to do—I mean it looked like you were sleeping but you wouldn’t wake up—” He pulled Akaashi up to his chest, and Akaashi could feel Bokuto’s heartbeat, fast and loud, “I didn’t know what to do.” 

Akaashi nuzzled him some more, twining his fingers around Bokuto’s, “I’m sorry I scared you.” 

Bokuto shook his head, “I’m sorry I didn’t—I should’ve realized sooner—”

Akaashi shook his head right back, “I was fine. I think it was just—when you bit down, I’ve never—I’ve never felt anything like that before…” he let out a shaky breath, a soft purr starting to hum in his chest, “I’m sorry I ruined the moment.” 

“You didn’t ruin anything!” Bokuto said quickly, bumping his forehead against Akaashi’s, joining him with low rumbles of his chest, “I’m just glad you’re ok.” 

Akaashi kissed him again, sighing in relief knowing that Bokuto was now relieved. But it was more than just knowing it. It was _feeling_ it. 

“You really don’t regret it?” Bokuto whispered.

“I regret not being able to bite you back,” Akaashi whispered back, meeting Bokuto with a soft kiss. 

The alpha gave him a few nuzzled, wrapping their legs together so that they’d be even closer.

“I’m right here,” Bokuto smiled, “Yours for the taking.” 

Akaashi bit his lip to keep his smile from getting too big. His chest had expanded so much he was worried he might just die of happiness. Still, he hesitated. “It’ll hurt if we’re not—you know—”

The alpha gave an easy smile, shrugging the thought away, “Love is pain, right?”

“Bokuto—“

“Keiji,” Bokuto closed his eyes, tilting his head up a bit to offer up his neck, “Make me yours too.” 

Akaashi swallowed, letting out a shaky breath as he reached up to touch the soft skin of Bokuto’s scent glands. “It really will hurt, Koutarou…”

“I know,” Bokuto smiled, looking at Akaashi to reassure him, “But I’m ready.” 

Akaashi took a moment to lick his lips, but nodded nonetheless, giving Bokuto another quick kiss to lessen the future pain, and then taking in a large inhale for himself to gather up his own courage. He grabbed hold of Bokuto’s hand, giving it a soft squeeze, whispering to the alpha that he loved him.

And then, he bit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated. Chapter 38 of this story, and Chapter 7 of the Sheiji story are already up. Check out my tumblr to find out more ^^


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More art that is a bit of a spoiler but oh well cuz I love it hehe. Can be found [here](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/172168436013/hannagdraws-aw-some-hard-times-ahead-in-a-place) and [here!](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/172241377783/hannagdraws-iwa-and-kaori-taking-a-nap-from-a)

When Akaashi woke up that morning he wanted to eat cream puffs. He wasn’t really sure why, but Bokuto didn’t seem to mind, saying that Akaashi could get to work on them while he went looking for the paper work they’d need to be legally married. And though they’d decided on those things, it took them a rather long time to get out of bed, stealing kisses in between giggles and nibbling on scent glands. 

After showering together, Akaashi rummaged through Bokuto’s closet, looking for something to wear. Although he did have a few of his things in the alpha’s apartment (like underwear and a few spare shirts), Akaashi thought it’d be much better to wear the alpha’s clothing instead. Flipping through, he reached for a dress shirt, because those always smelled like Bokuto’s cologne. Akaashi really liked Bokuto’s cologne. He brought it up to his nose, inhaling deeply, before grabbing the hanger to put it back. 

“Why don’t you just wear it?” Bokuto came up behind him, pulling their bodies together. 

Akaashi giggled, nuzzling the alpha, “I’m going to be baking. I don’t want to ruin it.” 

“But you look so good in my shirts, Akaashi…” Bokuto’s voice was so low it was almost a growl, the alpha dragging his teeth over the shell of Akaashi’s ear. 

Shivering a little from having the alpha’s breath in his ear, Akaashi bit his lip, trying to contain himself. He wriggled out of the alpha’s grasp, reaching for a t-shirt instead and holding it over his chest, “How about this one?” 

“Mmm,” Bokuto nodded, reaching out to touch Akaashi’s thighs, “But no pants.” 

His eyes widened, and Akaashi scoffed, holding out his hand to squeeze Bokuto’s arm, “Then no shirt for you.” 

“Deal,” Bokuto agreed, grinning and pulling Akaashi in for a kiss. They separated reluctantly, Bokuto finally grabbing a pair of sweats and leading Akaashi into the kitchen. He helped him a bit with the pastries, until Bokuto began making more of a mess than Akaashi really wanted to deal with, and so Akaashi kicked him out, laughing and telling the alpha to find out what kind of paperwork was needed for them to make their bond legally official. 

“Oh I was thinking,” Bokuto said, typing into the computer, “Before we make it official, would you wanna meet my mom? I feel like she’d wanna meet you.” 

“Oh,” Akaashi nodded, grabbing a bowl for the cream filling, “Yes, I’d like that.” 

“And then at some point we could go visit your parents! Do a proper introduction and all that.” 

Akaashi smiled, agreeing with the alpha, “I think they’ll be happy to meet you too.”

“We’re taking my name, right? I mean I know traditionally it’s the alpha but I wouldn’t mind taking yours.” 

“I think Bokuto Keiji sounds really nice,” Akaashi admitted, turning the mixer on and slowly adding whipping cream. 

“Ok!” Bokuto beamed, scrolling through the small list of requirements needed to create a new family registry. “By the way,” he scooted his chair out, glancing over at Akaashi, “How many pups would you want? For future reference.” 

Akaashi looked up, grinning from ear to ear, “Pups? About one or two, I suppose…but definitely not any time soon—”

“Oh yeah yeah definitely not now or anything,” Bokuto turned back to typing, “I was just curious!” 

“How many children would you want, Bokuto?” 

Bokuto let out a short hum, as if he were thinking, “It’s always just been my mom and me, so I’ve always liked the idea of a big family. Like maybe six or seven!” 

Akaashi nearly dropped his piping bag, “ _Seven_ pups??” 

“Is that too many?” Bokuto grinned, “Maybe like five then?” 

Akaashi burst out laughing, throwing the dish towel at him and missing, “I’m going to be pregnant for the rest of our married life!” 

They were both laughing, a certain kind of bubbling joy filling the room, and though Akaashi could feel his own chest swelling with happiness, he could feel Bokuto’s happiness as well, Akaashi’s bond mark swelling slightly. He felt lighter than air, being connected like this. 

Bokuto’s chair scraped behind him, the alpha getting up in a rush, “Would that be so bad? You pregnant all the time,” he came up to Akaashi, circling his waist, rubbing his hands over the omega’s stomach, “Sweet and swollen with my pups—”

He lowered his head, so that his teeth could latch onto the omega’s bond mark, both of them humming in pleasure, Bokuto reveling in how his teeth fit perfectly into the dent on Akaashi’s skin.

“Bokuto!” Akaashi giggled, holding a pastry in one hand and the piping bag in the other, “You’re going to ruin our cream puffs—”

“It’s fine it’s fine! Just a little longer!” He bit down again, and Akaashi laughed again, before the omega separated himself, giving the alpha a quick kiss as the pulled away. 

“Can I taste?” Bokuto asked, watching Akaashi handle the cream puff.

Akaashi nodded as he finished piping the pastry, offering it to Bokuto to taste. Bokuto took the whole thing into his mouth, a bit of cream dripping down the side of his lip. Akaashi reached up, cupping the alpha’s cheek and then licking away the excess cream. Bokuto’s eyes widened, looking at Akaashi before reaching into the bowl, swiping some more cream along his bottom lip. 

“You missed a spot, Akaashi!” 

The omega giggled, shaking his head though he pulled the alpha in regardless, indulging in another kiss, cream spreading between their lips. 

Their bodies pressed close together, Bokuto grinding down a little on the omega, and it was when Akaashi finally moaned that Bokuto picked him up, setting him down against the counter. In an instant, Bokuto had the omega’s shirt off, reaching his hands into the bowl again so that he could smear cream all over the omega’s chest.

“Boku—taahh…” 

Akaashi’s voice broke off into a moan, Bokuto sucking his nipples into his mouth and dragging his tongue all over his skin to clear up the cream.

“That was for—for the cream puffs—”

“We can make more—later—“ Bokuto kissed up his neck, pushing Akaashi down against the counter, Akaashi’s breath hitching when the intense vanilla invaded his senses. Bokuto was scenting him, dragging his fangs along Akaashi’s neck all the while, and when he licked Akaashi’s scent glands again the omega let out a sharp whine, bucking his hips into the alpha. 

“Yeah,” Akaashi nodded, wrapping his arms around Bokuto’s neck and pulling him in for a kiss, “Later—”

After leaving the kitchen in an even bigger mess than it had been before, Akaashi couldn’t bring himself to move from the top of the kitchen counter, his legs rendered completely useless. 

“I’ll carry you to bed,” Bokuto offered. 

“Please,” Akaashi laughed, holding his arms up so that Bokuto could pick him up, “I didn’t think—”

“What?” Bokuto asked, grabbing him princess style and carrying him into the bedroom, “That you actually wouldn’t be able to stand?” 

“My legs feel like water,” Akaashi admitted as Bokuto put him down. Bokuto climbed in next to him, and Akaashi hugged a pillow close to his chest, snuggling into the alpha. “Can we stay like this for a little?” 

“I’d rather we stay like this for a long while,” Bokuto nuzzled Akaashi’s hair with his nose, “Though we should probably shower eventually.” 

Akaashi yawned, nodding his head, “Eventually,” he murmured, purring into Bokuto’s chest. 

Bokuto hummed happily at that. 

“I was thinking,” Akaashi said after a while, looking up at Bokuto, “We could maybe go see your mother tomorrow or the day after. I could bake her some sweets.” 

Smiling, Bout nodded, giving Akaashi a quick kiss, “That works for me. Plus that buys me time until I have to tell Tooru.” 

Akaashi blinked, feeling a strange sensation course through him as he looked at Bokuto, “You’re anxious,” he declared. 

Bokuto scoffed, nuzzling Akaashi’s neck, “You can feel that, huh?” 

“Well,” Akaashi smiled, giving the alpha a quick kiss, “We’re bonded after all.” 

“Yeah,” Bokuto’s eyes gleamed, “We are.” 

They kissed again, but Akaashi pulled away, wanting to talk a little longer, “What sort of dessert does your mom like the most? I could make a small arrangement—like the samplers I have at the store.” 

“That’s a great idea Akaashi! Mmmm honestly she loves anything so long as there’s chocolate involved. Maybe something with a bit of orange?” 

“I can do that,” Akaashi smiled, kissing Bokuto again, “What day works best? As for my parents I was planning on calling them first. But they’re in Kyoto so it’d be a bit of a trip if you wanted to visit—probably on a weekend?” 

“I’ve never been to Kyoto!” Bokuto told him, “Maybe we could go visit my mom Wednesday, since I have work tomorrow. And then this weekend we could take a short trip to Kyoto and maybe even add you to my family registry this Sunday? I guess I’d have to tell Tooru before then…Friday, maybe…” 

“Yes,” Akaashi nodded, smiling and purring all at once, “I like that plan.” 

“Ok,” Bokuto nuzzled him, giving the omega another quick kiss for good measure, “Let’s do that then.”

* * *

 

Bokuto had to tell Tooru. He wasn’t sure how the hell he was going to do that, but he knew that one way or another it had to happen. He definitely didn’t want Eiji there, though. Because Koutarou got the feeling that this whole conversation wouldn’t be a pretty one. When he’d talked to the omega on the phone, Tooru had already seemed suspicious. And from the way Tooru’s face darkened when the omega answered the door, Koutarou could tell he’d be in for a long night. 

The omega visibly swallowed, unmoving save for a few blinks. 

“Wow.”

“Well?” the alpha tried to smile, “Aren’t you gonna congratulate me?” 

Tooru blinked, staring at him with a blank face, nodding at the bond mark, “Is that worth congratulating?” 

Koutarou made a face, stepping into the apartment, “What the hell is that supposed to mean—”

“I mean,” Tooru said calmly, walking towards the kitchen, “Was it on accident or not?” He took another glimpse of the bond mark on Koutarou’s neck, before looking the alpha in the face. 

“It wasn’t on accident,” Kou said, “We both agreed this was what we wanted.” 

Tooru shrugged, folding his hands over the counter, “Just something you decided on, all of a sudden.” 

“Yes, Tooru,” Kou explained, “Sometimes things just happen.” 

“A bond shouldn’t be something that just _happens,_ Kou! You and Akaashi—”

“Are both adults who are capable of making our own decisions, aren’t we?” There was a bit of bite to his tone when he said it, so he tried to reel it back in, “Come on. I want you to be happy for me. You’re my best friend—”

“It’s exactly because I’m your best friend that this doesn’t sit well with me—”

“Tooru,” Koutarou begged, “Come on. Try and have an open mind about this. I’m really happy.” 

The omega pressed his lips together, yielding slightly to what Koutarou was saying.

“I’m just saying I think you guys should have waited.” 

Koutarou scrunched up his features, “I don’t really wanna hear that from the guy who bonded a one night stand—”

“It wasn’t like that—!”

“I supported you though! Everything you do I’m always right there, ready to back you up aren’t I? Why can’t you do the same for me? Be happy and celebrate!” 

“It’s not about me being happy for you it’s about me being worried about you! And I may have been the guy who bonded within like three weeks but that’s my exact point! Look where it got me!”

“It got you Eiji! And not everyone is you and Kaito, Tooru. You can’t use your singular life experience to fucking define parameters for everyone else—” 

“So I can’t use my life experience to show concern for my friend—”

“I don’t want your concern! I want congratulations! This is really big for me!”

Tooru exhaled, looking off to the side and closing his eyes for a bit, before returning back to Koutarou. He licked his lips, looking the alpha up and down. 

“Are you married?” he asked. 

“No,” Koutarou replied, trying to match Tooru’s calmness, “We’re not married.”

“But you plan to be,” the omega elaborated. 

“We’re taking the documents down to the courthouse on Sunday—”

“Has Akaashi even met your mom? Or you his parents? How can you—“

“I introduced him two days ago,” Bokuto explained, “She really likes him. And she was happy for me. We’re going to see Akaashi’s parents tomorrow.” 

“Yeah well your mom’s always been about as carefree as you are—”

“Can you stop treating this like it was just something I decided on a whim—”

Tooru found himself growling a little, “It _is_ something you decided on a whim or else we wouldn’t be here. And are you actually gonna be married come Sunday? Do you two even plan on having a proper wedding? Have you discussed living arrangements? Did you go see a lawyer and talk about your assets?” 

“We don’t need a wedding,” Bokuto decided, “This was something we wanted for us, so that’s what we’re doing. And I don’t care about the money. As soon as we’re married what’s mine is gonna be Akaashi’s—”

“Are you fucking insane? This is exactly what happened the last time!” 

“This time and last time are two completely different things—”

Tooru threw his hands up, as if Koutarou were a lost cause, “What are you gonna do if this doesn’t work out—”

“I don’t plan on it not working out—”

“Koutarou,” Oikawa shook his head, “Kou I love you. But life isn’t that easy. Your past has been just as rough as mine—” 

“I’m not gonna let my past stop me from my future with Akaashi—”

“That’s completely insane! You’re like actually insane. What if you decide you don’t want to be with each other anymore after two years? You think he’s gonna let you walk away with your bar and house in tact—”

“I don’t plan on losing him after two years—”

“Kou. Just stop and think about it for a second. You’re bonded—fine. But at least give the marriage some thought!”

“I have thought about it. I want to marry him.” 

Tooru shook his head, crossing his arms, “You’re being unreasonable. I don’t know what else to say. Unreasonable and plain stupid.” 

“No, you know what’s really stupid? Is you not giving Iwa a chance until things started blowing up in your face. And then you try and tell me what to do like you’re an expert. I love you and you’re my friend, but that shit’s getting old, Tooru.” 

“Don’t pull Iwa into this because our problems are between him and myself. I’m not the one jumping into marriage with him.” 

“Yeah well maybe that’s your fucking problem—”

“It’s not _my_ problem, it’s yours! Iwa or Akaashi it doesn’t matter. You can’t be sure that things will work out the way you want them to—”

“Yes I can—”

“Kou you can’t ever really _know_ —”

“I _can_ know because Akaashi loves me! And unlike Iwa that’s something I can say confidently about my own mate!” 

Tooru stiffened, gritting his teeth to stop his eyes from welling up. 

“That’s entirely unfair, you know that?” 

Koutarou sighed, reaching out to touch him, but Tooru just slapped his hand away. 

“Ok,” Koutarou shook his head, “Look, I just wanted to tell you the good news. Can you at least smile for me? I finally found someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. Someone that wants to spend the rest of their life with me.” 

Tooru shrugged, “You’re an adult. I don’t see why you need my blessing for anything. So fine, I’m happy for you.” 

“I don’t need that passive aggressive bullshit. And I don’t wanna feel like every time we do stuff together it’s just gonna be you judging my relationship—”

“I’m not judging—”

“Yes you are! That’s all you do is just judge! You’ve been a judgey mcjudge since we first met!” 

“Well sorry for having an opinion about things—”

“It’s not that. It’s just sometimes you have really fucked up opinions.” 

Tooru rubbed his temple, because his head was starting to hurt. “Kou, of course I’m happy for you. I mean I’m not blind I can _see_ how happy you are right now. For fucks sake you’re fucking glowing. If you were an omega I’d go buy a pregnancy test for you because you’re actually fucking shining and it’s giving me a headache.” He rubbed his head again, as if to prove the fact, “But I’m allowed to be worried too. You’re my closest friend. I don’t want to see you hurt. The only thing I’m saying is it’s better to be safe than sorry. If Akaashi really loves you then I’m sure he’d be fine with you two seeing a lawyer about your assets before you get married. And then after that you guys can own everything together. But that way your bar would still be under your name, and if things go south—which I hope they don’t—obviously I want you to have your happily ever after but you have to have back ups sometimes. If things go south then at least you’d still have the bar.” He looked the alpha dead in the face, waiting for him to see reason. 

Koutarou pulled him in for a hug, and this time Tooru accepted it. 

“I know you’re always looking out for me,” he said, “But you don’t need to go mom mode on me all the time.” 

“Well you’re basically a kid, so…” 

Koutarou squeezed him, “I’ll talk to Akaashi about the lawyer. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. I honestly hadn’t thought about that.” 

Tooru nodded, pulling away a bit, “I know you hadn’t. That’s why I mentioned it.” 

The alpha smiled, “Thanks, Tooru.” 

“Don’t thank me for anything,” Tooru said, clicking his tongue, “It’s my duty as a best friend.” 

“Sooo~” Bokuto smiled, leaning in with a teasing expression, “You’re actually just super jealous of me aren’t you? Is that why you were so salty when I walked in?” 

Tooru pushed his face away, holding his chin up indignantly, “I’m _happy_ for you. Jealousy is absurd because I have no intentions of jumping into something that quickly to begin with.” 

Bokuto’s grin wouldn’t go away, “I don’t think that’s so true anymore. It’s going well, isn’t it? You and Iwa—” 

“You realize we were legitimately arguing not two minutes ago—”

“What is it with you and wanting to extend fights? We both got our points across right—“

“Give a man time to process for the love of christ—”

“Who needs to process anything! You’re happy for me, and you pointed out some good things, so I’ll totally do that. You know we’re both hard-headed. It’s a lot easier to just keep things moving.” 

“You know, sometimes I honestly wonder how we’ve been friends for this long.” 

Scoffing, Bokuto shook his head, “Me too, sometimes. But we’ve made it this far, right?” 

Tooru sighed, picking an invisible piece of lint off his pants. He looked at Bokuto again, “Akaashi’s a good person,” he said, “It’s very clear that he loves you. And that you love him. But divorces happen all the time. Over the smallest of things. I’m just saying be careful, going down the line.” 

“You always were the voice of reason.” 

“One of us had to be.” 

“Hey,” Bokuto said suddenly, “You think our kids would get along? They’d basically be cousins, right?” 

Tooru laughed, shaking his head, “Kou by the time you have a kid Eiji will probably be in high school—”

“I meant your next kid—obviously—”

“My next kid?” 

“Does Iwa not want kids?” 

Tooru swallowed, “No…he does—”

“So,” Koutarou grinned, “Our kids would totally be friends!” 

“Alright, alright,” Tooru smirked, holding his chin in his palm, “One thing at a time. Focus on getting married first, will you?” 

“Right right,” Koutarou agreed, “Pacing!” 

“Yes,” Tooru laughed, pushing his finger into Koutarou’s chest, _“Pacing.”_

* * *

 

Akaashi thanked the nurse, stepping into the doctor’s office, diagrams of the omegan reproductive system hanging on what felt like every wall. 

The doctor stepped in shortly after, a large smile on her face, “Akaashi-san! So good to see you again!” 

“Thank you Sensei,” Akaashi nodded, “It’s good to see you as well.” 

“I believe congratulations are in order,” she flipped through her clipboard, motioning with it to Akaashi’s neck, “How do you feel?” 

“It’s amazing,” Akaashi smiled, his hand going up to his scent glands, “My mate, he’s—he’s a wonderful person.” 

The doctor nodded, “Well my congratulations and well wishes to you both,” she sat down, putting the clipboard on her desk, “So I heard you had some questions. How can I help you today?”

“Well, I was due for a checkup regardless,” Akaashi explained, taking in a deep breath, “But now that I’ve been mated I just wanted to see if that meant anything for my condition. I also wanted to see if there were any new options available in terms of birth control.” 

Flipping through the clipboard, the doctor let out a hum, “In terms of touch starvation, bonding actually helps level it out. You’ll still be susceptible but as with most cases, I think you’ll find that your scent glands require less stimulation than they have previously.” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened, “Oh, that’s really good.” 

“Yeap. One of the perks of bonding.” 

“I would have thought it’d worsen my condition,” Akaashi explained, “Since having a mate—”

“Most omegas tell me the exact same thing,” the doctor smiled, “But because the bite scars over, it’s like a constant presence on the glands that allows them to stabilize a bit. Again, there are some rare instances where that doesn’t occur, but for the most part I’d say you have nothing to worry about.” She smiled at him, and Akaashi felt himself sigh in relief, offering his thanks. 

“Now in terms of birth control,” she glazed over the paperwork with her pen, “It says here your previous doctor had you on BCX is that correct?” 

“Yes,” Akaashi nodded, “I had to stop after a month because it upset my stomach.” 

“Bloating, fever…?” 

“Nausea, mostly,” Akaashi explained, “I was throwing up every other day.” 

She nodded, scribbling something down, “Got it.” 

“My previous doctor said that BCX had a rather low dose? And that if I couldn’t handle that one then I probably wouldn’t be able to stomach any of the others.” 

The doctor clicked her pen, “Well, part of that’s true. BCX has a low dosage but different birth controls do different things. If you don’t mind running down to the lab, we could do some quick tests and I’d be able to tell you more. Results happen in an hour if you have the time. If not we could schedule a separate appointment. But from there then we could discuss which options would be best for you. Because of your condition, there might be some drugs that your body is more or less receptive to.” 

Akaashi nodded, “Yes, I took the day off today so I don’t mind.” 

“Perfect,” she ripped off a sheet, “If you just take this down the hall, the big blue doors on the left, they should be able to take you right away.” 

Taking the paper, Akaashi bowed a little, thanking the doctor. 

The tests didn’t take as long as Akaashi had thought they would, although he really wasn’t a fan of the whole peeing in a cup thing, but he managed. After about an hour and a half, he was called back into the doctor’s office, ready to review his results. 

He hoped there’d be at least one option for him to try. Though because of his previous experience he’d never been a large fan of birth control, he really wanted to be able to share his future heats with Bokuto. He could present it to the alpha as a sort of wedding gift. 

The thought alone had him smiling. 

His smile quickly fell however, when he noticed the apologetic smile that the doctor walked in with. His heart plunged. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to spend his heat with Bokuto until they were ready for children. 

“So your results came back,” she said, sitting down, letting out the kind of sigh people used to buy time, as if she were trying to figure out how to phrase what came next. 

Akaashi swallowed, figuring he might as well beat her to it, “My body isn’t compatible with any of the available medication.” 

The doctor licked her lips, taking in another inhale, “It’s not that,” she tapped her pen on her clipboard, “In fact there are about three types I would recommend to you as of now.” 

“Oh,” Akaashi blinked, before his eyes narrowed, his head cocking slightly in confusion, “That’s good, isn’t it?” 

The doctor nodded, placing her palms flat against the desk, “Akaashi-san. Your x-rays along with the quick examination of your birth canal reveal that the shaping of your inner walls are abnormal,” she splayed out two x-rays, pointing with her pen while she spoke, “This one here is the average amount of space needed to usually carry a pregnancy to term. As you can see, the inner lining of your walls is thicker than normal, which closes it off. Although it’s not definitive, your chances of getting pregnant and staying pregnant are less than slim.” 

Akaashi blinked. He had no idea what sort of expression he was giving, but it must have been bad, from the way the doctor gave a sympathetic smile, her voice soft and gentle, “I know that’s a lot of information to receive all at once. Go ahead and take a moment to process.”

It was like all of the air had gotten knocked out of him. Akaashi had heard what she’d said. Knew what she’d said, could see very clearly between the x-rays that the inside of his womb didn’t look normal, but it was hard to believe that that was really _his._ He swallowed, looking to the doctor, then back to the x-rays, and then back up at the doctor again, “Is—“ his voice was dry, “Is this because of my condition?” 

“No,” the doctor shook her head, “This and that are completely independent of each other.” 

Akaashi nodded, both his chest and eyes starting to sting. 

“Is…is there anything I can do about it?” 

The doctor sighed, folding her hands over her desk, “In vitro could be one possibility. Though success rates range from 10%-30%. There’s no real guarantee and the investment would definitely be something to consider carefully. Some seek out surrogates, but the paperwork is extensive. I’m afraid Japan’s laws for surrogates are not as lenient as they are abroad. Surgery is also an option, to separate the lining, but again success isn’t guaranteed, and the procedures can get expensive.” 

“I see,” Akaashi said, a few stray tears starting to fall, the omega quickly wiping them away, “Thank you—”

“I’m so sorry Akaashi-san,” the doctor pulled out a tissue, offering it to the omega, “I suggest talking to your mate. It’s always best when both parties are informed.” 

“Yes,” Akaashi nodded, “I’ll be sure to do that.” 

“Did you still want to discuss your options for birth control?” The doctor asked gently. 

Akaashi smiled to momentarily hide the pained ache in his chest, “No,” he said, standing up, “Thank you for your time today.” 

“Of course,” she nodded, “And if you ever have any more questions, please feel free to reach out.” 

Akaashi nodded, excusing himself from the office and clenching his jaw to keep from crying. His everything was shaking.

How was he supposed to tell Bokuto he couldn’t give him a family?

* * *

 

Bokuto could smell the salt of tears from before he even got to the door of his apartment. His bond mark had been burning most of the afternoon, but he wasn’t sure what to make of it until now. The bond burning now more than ever, the alpha’s feet kicked into a run on pure instinct, Bokuto wrestling with the door and throwing it open. 

“Akaashi!” he barked, running in, looking through all the rooms, and practically breaking down the door to his own bedroom. Akaashi was curled up in a makeshift nest, sobbing softly to himself. 

“Akaashi!” Bokuto nuzzled him, trying to overpower the omega’s anxiousness with his own scent. He began giving low, vibrating purrs to try and soothe him, “Akaashi what happened?” 

The omega gripped at his shirt, breathing raggedly, shaking his head and choking on his sobs, “I’m sorry—I’m so sorry, Bokuto-san—“

“Hey, hey, shhh…” Bokuto rubbed Akaashi’s back, nuzzling the omega’s scent glands as much as he could, “What’s with the _san_ , huh? We’re mates now—whatever it is we can fix it together—”

Akaashi shook his head again, tears streaming hot and fast down his face, “We shouldn’t have bonded—not when I’m—I didn’t know—“

Bokuto felt his entire world crashing down. He held Akaashi all the tighter, bringing him up to his chest and scent marking him, drowning the omega in his scent, “Don’t—“ he swallowed, “Please don’t say that—I know we bonded really fast but—I love you—Akaashi I love you—” Bokuto was trembling as much as Akaashi was, the alpha squeezing the omega, and closing his eyes, “If you don’t want it then—that’s—I’ll do whatever you want, Akaashi. But let’s just talk it out first. We don’t have to get married right away if that’s what it is—”

“No,” Akaashi shook his head, “It’s not that—I—I love you—I love you so much—” he whimpered, voice cracking as he hid his face in the alpha’s chest. 

Bokuto swallowed, trying to stay calm for Akaashi, “It’s ok,” he managed, rubbing the omega’s back for encouragement, “Take your time. Tell me what happened when you’re ready.” 

It took a while, a long string of purring and scenting for Akaashi to at least go back to breathing steadily, though a few stray tears still managed to slip from his eyes. When he finally thought he was ready to talk, the omega wiped his face, sniffling a bit. 

“I went to the clinic, today.” 

Bokuto’s chest clenched, because the only thing he could think of was that Akaashi was sick with some sort of life threatening disease. Still, he didn’t say anything, not wanting to excite the omega, or cause any more needless worry. So he just sat silent, letting Akaashi continue. 

“The truth,” he sniffled, “The truth is I wanted to see if there were any options for me for birth control. The things I’ve tried in the past all had severe side effects because of my touch starvation, but I wanted to see what options I had because—because I wanted us to be able to spend my heats together.” 

Bokuto nodded, brushing his cheek against Akaashi’s, “If there weren’t any options then that’s ok. We could make do—”

Akaashi shook his head, and Bokuto nodded, going silent again so that Akaashi could continue. 

“We had to run a couple of tests, just to see if my body would be compatible with certain medication. Sometimes there’s certain reactants that can be harmful to people with bodies like mine.” 

While he spoke, Bokuto made sure to keep brushing his fingers through Akaashi’s hair. He hoped the constant touch would keep the omega at ease. 

“But. Um,” Akaashi cleared his throat, tears gathering around his eyes again, “Well, the doctor told me that taking birth control wouldn’t really matter. Because something about how the way my walls are aligned I probably won’t ever be able to get pregnant,” his eyes were glossy from the tears, and Bokuto could tell he was trying hard to not let them fall. 

“I’m so sorry,” Akaash continued, “I know you wanted a big family. If you want to end what we’ve started then I completely understand,“ his lip trembled, but Bokuto just kissed him, stopping him from saying anything else. 

“So what? There’s lots of things we can do! There’s surrogates and adoption and maybe by then medicine will have improved. Akaashi I’d never end what we have over something like that—”

_“But I’m broken,”_ Akaashi whispered, “Omegas are built for child birth and I—I can’t—”

“Hey,” Bokuto nuzzled him, “You’re not broken. Far from it.” 

“But Bokuto—”

“I claimed you because I want you, and everything that comes with you. If your body wasn’t meant for pups then we can just work our way around that when the time comes. So long as it’s you and me, Akaashi—that’s all I really care about.” 

Akaashi nodded, licking his lips, “Bokuto I—”

He was squeezed, his voice cutting off. 

“That’s twice, now, you scare me,” Bokuto whispered, burying his face into Akaashi’s neck. Despite the whisper his voice was heavy, and Akaashi squeezed him back, feeling the twinge of anxiety that was present in his mate’s chest. 

“Bokuto—” Akaashi lowered his head, nuzzling into the alpha, “I’m sorry. I just—you were so excited about having a family. And it’s not just for you but I—I wanted my own pups one day too. And—after everything I’ve gone through with my touch starvation I just—when things like this happen I’ve always been left to—”

“Akaashi,” Bokuto forced his face up, holding Akaashi’s cheeks in his palms, “You’re not alone anymore.”

The omega inhaled, the tears finally falling, nodding softly, “I know—I’m sorry—”

Bokuto kissed him, holding him close and rocking the omega back and forth, “Don’t apologize for that. I’m just glad you’re ok. When you said clinic I thought you’d gotten sick.” 

They stayed in bed, tangled up in each other, their scents mixing around each other, Akaashi suckling on Bokuto’s scent glands to calm himself down. 

“Are you feeling a little better?” Bokuto whispered after a while, giving the omega a gentle nuzzle.

Akaashi nodded, cheeks tinted a little pink, “Yes, thank you.” 

“Good,” Bokuto kissed his cheek. 

Akaashi squeezed the front of the alpha’s shirt, “Bokuto?” he asked. 

“Hm?” 

“We’ll be ok…” Akaashi swallowed, “Won’t we?” 

“Yeah,” Bokuto nodded, hugging and squeezing, “We’ll be ok.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's sad but I love this chapter lol. If you don't like waiting, chapter 39 is already up ^^ Check out my tumblr for more info.
> 
> Speaking of tumblr, I've gone through a name change! I am now @the-madame21 there and the_madame21 on here and twitter so if you wanna find me please use these new usernames ^^
> 
> Also there's new art which you can find at the links up top! Big thank you to Hanna for spoiling me with so much goodness!


	38. Chapter 38

“Well, I mean. If they’re both happy—”

“They’re happy _now,”_ Oikawa argued, “Things can change in the blink of an eye—”

“Well, I don’t know much about it,” Iwa shrugged, chopping the rest of the green onions, “But they always seemed pretty solid. Still not good to rush into things, but—”

“Yes, exactly!” Oikawa said excitedly, waving the knife around, and Iwa would be lying if he said he wasn’t just a little bit scared, “That’s what I was trying to tell him! Like obviously it’s great and all but there’s a lot of legal intricacies that go into a marriage!” 

“Mmm,” Iwa nodded, “Especially since they both have their own businesses, right? But I feel like if they just talk to a lawyer—”

“Yeah that’s what I told him,” Oikawa said, mixing the beef and onions into the pan, “He said they’re gonna go do that so at least they’re not jumping right in. I think right now they’re visiting Akaashi’s parents in Kyoto.” 

“That’s so crazy,” Iwa chuckled, “Imagine your kid showing up already bonded?” 

Oikawa stopped for a moment, swallowing a bit roughly as he recalled his own experience, adding the eggs to the mix, “Yeah…that’s…” 

“Mommy!!” Eiji came into the kitchen, standing on his tiptoes to try and see what was being made, “Is it done yet?” 

“Not yet, sweetheart,” Oikawa replied, adding soy sauce to the beef, “Almost, though—”

“I want a big bowl!!” Eiji said, “With lots of rice!!” 

“Me too!” Iwa chipped in, grinning at Oikawa with a smile that matched Eiji’s. 

“Alright, alright,” Oikawa laughed, “Almost done! Goodness two hungry alphas at my heels—”

“It’s cuz alpha eat more than omegas, right Mr. Iwa!” Eiji was excited, beaming up at the alpha, and Iwa found himself laughing back, adding the green onions to Oikawa’s pan, “You’d be surprised,” he explained, “Some omegas can eat like no tomorrow—”

“I’m gonna eat like no today!” 

Oikawa snorted, before asking Iwa to fill a bowl with rice, because the beef was all cooked. 

“Can I help with the rice?” Eiji asked. 

“Mm,” Iwa nodded, “Hold you hands out—both hands—hold it tight,” 

Eiji nodded seriously, focusing his everything on the bowl Iwa put into his hands. Iwa scooped up the rice, packing it into the bowl, so that Eiji could then take it to his mom, where Oikawa add the meat and eggs. 

Eiji carried the bowls, one by one, all the way to the table, motioning to his mom when it was all done, saying how he was really good at setting the table. 

“You sure are,” Oikawa said, walking towards the table with two waters in hand, “Next thing we know you’ll be cooking too!” 

“I can already cook!” Eiji said proudly, “Mr. Iwa taught me how!” 

“That’s right,” Oikawa smiled, “With the omurice, right?” 

Iwa chuckled, sitting next to Eiji, “Best omurice in the world.” 

Talk of Eiji becoming a future chef began, (after he became a world-famous racecar driver, of course) the three of them discussing possible restaurant names, laughing while they enjoyed their lunch. 

That is, until the back of Oikawa’s pants started to vibrate, his personal phone going off. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, deciding to answer when he saw that it was Bokuto calling. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey. Tooru.” 

Oikawa crinkled his features, standing up and giving himself some space between himself and the table, “What’s wrong?” 

“I haven’t even said anything and you already think something’s wrong.” 

“Kou,” Oikawa swallowed, “I know that voice. What happened?”

There was a bit of a pause, as if Bokuto were collecting himself on the other end, “Just wanted to talk for a bit. I know you’ve got Eiji—”

“I can be there in 10 minutes,” he said, “I'll just drop him off at my mom’s—”

Iwa motioned at him, chewing quickly and then wiping his mouth with a napkin, “I got him, if you need—”

“Nevermind,” Oikawa spoke into the phone, “Iwa’s here so—”

“I don’t wanna bother—”

“Kou,” Oikawa said seriously, “Ten minutes.” 

“Yeah. Ok. Thanks.” 

“What happened Mommy?” Eiji asked, spoon still in his hand. 

“I have to go see your uncle,” Oikawa explained, reaching out to kiss his son on the head. 

“I can help too!” Eiji said. 

“Eiji—” Oikawa began, about to try and explain things, but he didn’t have to, because Iwa took care of all of that for him.

“You’re just gonna leave me alone?” Iwa pouted at Eiji, “What am I supposed to do if you both leave?” 

Eiji’s eyes widened in a bit of a panic, looking from Iwa to his mom, going back and forth a few times, before finally deciding, “I’ll stay with Mr. Iwa!” 

Oikawa reached out to ruffle his son’s hair, throwing a _thank yo_ u out to Iwa as he grabbed for his sweater, already heading to the front to put on his shoes. 

“Give Uncle Bokuto lots of hugs!” Eiji said.

“Will do,” Oikawa replied, slipping on his shoes and then standing back up, ready to head out. He nuzzled both Iwa and Eiji goodbye as he left, telling them to make sure and clean the table once they finished eating. 

It didn’t take him very long to get to Bokuto’s house. Probably because he’d sort of run through the station, and strutted down the walkway to make sure he got to the alpha as quickly as he possibly could. 

He rang the doorbell once, Bokuto taking a long time opening the door. 

When he finally did, there was a sad smile on his face, Bokuto looking more tired than anything else. His hair was flat, small bags around his eyes, the alpha in loose clothing that looked more like pajamas than something he could go out in. 

There was a sad scent to the room that hit him before he even stepped inside. One that was partially Bokuto’s, partially a scent Oikawa didn’t know. Akaashi’s, no doubt, but Oikawa almost didn’t want to believe it. Sure maybe they’d moved a little fast but—for something to happen this soon—it didn’t feel right. 

“What happened?” Oikawa slipped his shoes off, getting straight to the point. 

“You want a coffee or something?” Bokuto dragged, leading them inside, not saying anything while he made his way into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup.

There were dirty dishes in the sink, though the counters had been wiped down, the coffee pot Bokuto was holding already half empty. 

“No thanks,” Oikawa said. 

Bokuto shrugged, walking over to his couch, and Oikawa followed, staring at him hard once they’d both sat down. 

Bokuto quietly sipped on his coffee, rubbing his thumb along the rim. After a long while he cleared his throat, and looked Oikawa dead in the face. 

“Akaashi can’t have kids.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened, a sharp gasp catching in his throat. He definitely hadn’t been expecting that. 

“What—”

“He found out on Friday. It’s not that he can’t, exactly, but chances are slim. He’s…it’s been a rough weekend.” 

Oikawa swallowed, licking his lips, “I take it you didn’t go visit his parents?” 

Bokuto shook his head. 

“How…” Oikawa thought carefully, not really sure what to say, “I mean, are you guys—”

Bokuto shook his head, putting it in his hands, “I don’t know what to do for him. He’s been crying all weekend.”

“Where is he now?” 

“He had to go to work,” Bokuto sighed, keeping his head in his hands, “I don’t know what to do, Tooru.” 

Oikawa reached out, rubbing the alpha’s back and scooching in closer, “I think you being here with him is already more than enough.”

The alpha shook his head, dropping his hands, “I can feel his pain, Tooru. I _feel_ it. Me being here isn’t doing shit for him.” 

“It’d be a lot worse if you weren’t,” Oikawa said, “Obviously that’s a lot to process—”

“I know it is. But I’ve never felt so helpless. There’s nothing I can do for him. What am I supposed to do for him?” 

“Hold him,” Oikawa said, as if on instinct, “Make sure he knows you’re not running away—”

“As if I would—!” A sharp snarl came from Bokuto, a fierce expression Oikawa had only ever seen once or twice.

“I know that!” Oikawa bit back just as sharply, enough to shut the alpha up, “But I’ve told you before. Omega anxiety can get beyond debilitating—”

“It’s not the same. When everything happened with you it wasn’t like this—”

“Koutarou,” Oikawa said gently, keeping with his soothing motions.

“What?” 

Oikawa gave a small smile, letting out a little sigh, “You and I aren’t bonded. Of course you’re going to feel every ounce of insecurity Akaashi has right now. Bonds come with the good and the bad.” 

“I didn’t really think the bad would come so soon…” Bokuto whispered, looking up at Oikawa, “He’s so _sad_ Tooru. And it’s all because I was fucking going on about wanting a big family. You know what he said? He said he was _broken.”_

Oikawa pulled him in, holding him and doing what omegas did best—giving off a soothing scent to calm the alpha down. “Did you guys get a second opinion? Sometimes different doctors have better insights. And technology is getting better every day. There’s also adoption, when you guys are ready. Iwa’s friends—the ones I was telling you about—they’re adopting—”

“I know,” Bokuto nodded, sinking into the omega’s hold, “I know but—I don’t even care anymore. I just want Akaashi to not…” 

Rubbing Bokuto’s back, Oikawa nodded, nuzzling him gently, “Yeah,” he said, “I know.” 

They sat like that for a while, Oikawa offering the soft scent and Bokuto drinking it up, grateful after a weekend of pure exhaustion. 

“I think…” Oikawa said after a while, “You two should just get away for a bit. You just bonded, right? Go, get married. Elope the way you bonded. Have a honeymoon and go visit Akaashi’s parents, and just don’t worry about it. Get a second opinion when you’re both ready. Focus on the two of you. I mean it’s not like you wanted a kid right now anyway, right?” 

There was a long pause, before Bokuto finally replied. 

“Yeah,” he said, “I guess. I don’t know. He’s got the bakery, and I have the bar, so. I don’t know.” 

“You can still afford to take the time off.” 

The alpha nodded slowly, letting out a long sigh, “I’ll talk to him about it.” 

“A change of scenery always does people good. Maybe go down to the beach! Stay there for a few days.” 

“That actually sounds really nice,” Bokuto said in a bit of a daze, as if he were already planning out the trip. 

“Just think about it,” Oikawa said, “Have you eaten today?”

“I had some instant ramen.”

“That’s not food. Do you have work tonight?” 

Bokuto shook his head, “I took the whole week off. I don’t want to leave Akaashi alone at night.” 

Oikawa nodded, “I can fix something up—”

“No. I mean thank you but—Akaashi was gonna pick food up on the way home, so—”

“You still need to eat, Kou—”

“I’m just not that hungry, honestly.” 

Oikawa nodded, sighing along with Bokuto, staring at the wall in front of them. 

“This is a lot.” 

“Yeah, fucking tell me about it.” 

“Ok,” Oikawa sighed again, standing up, “I’m gonna wash the dishes—”

“You don’t have to do that—“

“Dirty environments keep all the bad energy, Kou. Once we clear up the space and turn on some scent purifiers you’ll feel better.” 

“Purifiers for what?” 

“It literally smells like sadness in here.” 

Bokuto swallowed, shifting a bit on the couch, “I hadn’t really noticed.” 

“Of course not. Now I’ll wash the dishes, and you take a nap—cuz you look like death—“

“Thanks—”

“I’ll have everything cleaned up by the time Akaashi gets home.” 

“I can’t sleep—”

Oikawa flicked the alpha in the forehead, giving a short little snarl, “You can’t take care of Akaashi if you’re exhausted like this. Get your strength back, because right now that’s what Akaashi needs the most.” 

The alpha hesitated, watching as Oikawa left and came back with a pillow and blanket, already fluffing the pillow up against the other end of the couch. “Come on,” Oikawa said, patting the pillow, “ _Rest.”_

Bokuto groaned, but gave in regardless, flopping against the pillow and pulling the blanket over his shoulders, “Don’t overdo it,” he warned. 

“I never do,” Oikawa said, “Do you want the lights off?” 

The alpha shook his head, “It’s fine.” 

“Ok,” Oikawa said, “Imma go turn on the purifiers.” 

Bokuto nodded, yawning a bit, feeling his eyes flutter closed to the sound of Oikawa’s padded footsteps go down the hall. 

He woke up to the ding of the rice cooker, groaning and rolling over, falling onto the floor as a result. 

Oikawa called out to him in a panic, rushing into the living room to find the alpha groaning, rubbing his head. 

“I’m fine…” he muttered, his eyes adjusting to the light in the room. With a yawn, he looked around, trying to wake himself up, “What time is it?” 

“A little past eight,” Oikawa replied. 

“I was sleeping for six hours??” 

“Good thing too,” Oikawa mentioned, “You were snoring so I figured it’d be best to let you enjoy that.” 

Bokuto rubbed his face, untangling his legs from the blanket and getting up, “Akaashi will be home soon.” 

“Good,” Oikawa said, “I made miso soup.” 

“I told you not to make anything—”

“Just a little bit of rice and soup. It’ll hold over for tomorrow too.” 

“I guess so,” the alpha managed, folding up the blanket with clumsy fingers, still half asleep. “Need help with that?” Oikawa asked, though he was already reaching for the other end of the blanket, so that it’d be easier to fold. 

“Thank you, Tooru.” 

“No problem—”

“Not the blanket,” Bokuto clarified, “Everything.” 

The omega scoffed, “No need to thank me. This is just what friends—” he stopped himself short, Iwa suddenly flashing into his mind, “It’s what friends do,” he finished, smiling at the alpha. 

Bokuto nodded, bringing Oikawa in so that they could scent platonically. 

“You look much better. See what a little sleep can do?” 

“Yeah,” the alpha stretched, “I feel refreshed,” he groaned as a bone or two popped, letting out a face of complete relaxation. 

“Make sure to shower before Akaashi gets back, ok?” 

“Will do.”

Oikawa smiled, “Attaboy. Since he’s getting back soon I’ll head out so you guys can be alone. Constant scenting helps with the anxiety.” 

“Yeah,” Bokuto nodded, “That’s one of the few things I can do. I’ll walk you to the door,” Bokuto offered, following Oikawa towards the door, the two of them stopping when the door opened on it’s own, Akaashi stepping into the apartment. 

Everyone seemed to hold their breath at once, though no one was really sure why. 

“Oh,” Akaashi said, halting in the entryway, “Hello, Oikawa-san.” 

Oikawa stood still, a harsh expression on his face, before he stepped forward, reaching for Akaashi and pulling him into a hug. 

Akaashi let out a surprised sound, from the way Oikawa had squeezed him so suddenly, stiffening before relaxing in his hold. The scent was a nice one. 

“If you ever need anything,” Oikawa said, gripping the omega’s shoulders, “Call me. You’re family now.” 

Akaashi nodded, tearing up a little, “Thank you, Oikawa-san.” 

“I can’t say I know what you’re going through,” Oikawa continued, “But in terms of falling into the pits of despair and feeling like absolute shit—I’ve been there a few times.” 

Again Akaashi nodded, swallowing a bit, “Do you have a moment? I—Terushima is still on his honeymoon. I don’t want to bother him with this.” He spoke softly, as if he didn’t want Bokuto to hear, despite the alpha standing not two feet away from them. 

Oikawa squeezed Akaashi’s hands, giving a solid nod, “Bokuto,” he motioned the alpha away, “Go shower.”

“But—”

“I’ve got your mate for now,” he motioned with his head, putting an arm around Akaashi, “Go shower.” 

Akaashi squeezed Oikawa’s hand in silent thank you, the two of them walking into the living room. 

“Thank you,” Akaashi said, “I know we don’t know each other very well—”

“That doesn’t matter,” Oikawa said, “You’re important to Bokuto, so you’re important to me.” 

Akaashi nodded, “It’s just I don’t have very many omega friends. And I know Bokuto is doing all he can and it’s already more than I can ask for but—”

“Alphas don’t get anxious the way we do,” Oikawa said understandingly. 

“Yes,” Akaashi whispered, “I just—I need to sort out my thoughts—”

“Go ahead,” Oikawa said, “I’m all ears.” 

They pair talked about a lot of things. There were quite a bit of pheromones filling up the room, Akaashi crying through most of their talk, Oikawa finally understanding the depth of Akaashi’s past from the omega’s own mouth. It was heartbreaking, and yet healing, both omegas recounting their own stories, bonding over the bitterness of past mistakes. 

“I was telling Kou,” Oikawa said, once the tears had subsided, “There’s no use in worrying about it right now. If that’s the way it is then that’s the way it is. You can focus on it when the time comes. For now just enjoy being bonded.” 

“I know,” Akaashi tossed at the tissue, “It’s so much easier said than done though.” 

“I know,” Oikawa nodded, agreeing, “But you’ve gotta find some way to push past it or else it’ll eat you up forever.” 

Akaashi nodded quickly, “I just don’t want to be a burden. Koutarou is always so supportive but I feel like all I ever contribute is problems—”

“That’s not true at all! Have you ever _seen_ Kou? His everything lights up when he looks at you. Honestly I feel like you could say you wanna run off and join the circus and he’d be right there with you.” 

Akaashi laughed at that, rolling a tissue around in his hands, “I don’t know…”

“Akaashi,” Oikawa said gently, putting his hand over the omega’s, “Koutarou loves you. Baby or not. I mean look at how you guys bonded! It takes a lot to take a leap of faith like that. So forget about what might happen in the future. Just enjoy being newly mates for now.”

“Yes,” Akaashi exhaled, “I think it was just a lot to process—”

“I’ll tell you what,” Oikawa said, “I’ll let you babysit Eiji for a week. That’s turn you off kids forever, I promise.” 

Akaashi laughed openly at that, Oikawa returning it with a half smile of his own, because it was nice to finally have the omega smiling again. 

Bokuto gave the omegas their time, taking the absolute longest shower in the world, not stepping back out into the living room until it was already 9pm. 

“Good to hear you laughing again,” Bokuto said shyly, sitting down next to Akaashi and brining him in with a soft nuzzle. 

The omega let out a soft purr, leaning into the alpha. 

“You know,” Oikawa put his chin in his hands, “Looking at you guys now I’m surprised you didn’t bond sooner.” 

Bokuto scoffed, shaking his head, “You wanna stay and eat?” 

“Oh yes,” Akaashi nodded at Oikawa, “There’s plenty of food—”

“Thank you,” Oikawa held his hand up, “But my duty here is done. I’ve got Eiji waiting for me back home.” 

“Mm,” Bokuto nodded, “Don’t wanna keep the little guy waiting.” 

“It’s ok,” Oikawa smiled, “Iwa’s with him. But he still needs his milk.” 

“He’s a good babysitter, huh?” 

Oikawa gave a short little smile, as if he were reminiscing, “The best kind there is.”

* * *

 

Oikawa opened the door to a completely silent apartment. The kitchen was still in a bit of a mess, and as he made his way in, he saw that blankets were covering the entirety of the living room floor. It was awful—completely awful—but Tooru’s first thought was that they’d been murdered and robbed. 

“Eiji?” he called out, looking through all the rooms and then heading up the stairs, “Iwa?” 

He rushed towards his son’s room, his heart beating out of his chest in a panic and then coming to an abrupt stop, Oikawa biting his lip to keep quiet. Standing just outside Eiji’s room, he pushed the door a little more, to get a better look, tiptoeing in and drinking up the adorable sight before him.

It was like something out of the ads Oikawa would design. The two alphas were lying in Eiji’s entirely too small of a bed, each with one arm up over their head, opposite legs sticking out over the mattress. They mirrored each other, like incongruent twins, Oikawa sucking in his lips while he tried to figure out which one was drooling more, and though he was laughing softly to himself he wiped his eyes, because for some reason a few stray tears had gathered around the edges. 

Eiji was wearing a cape, and Iwa a paper crown. Oikawa assumed Eiji had been wearing a crown too, at some point, but it was now on the floor, the red construction paper lying at an angle against the nightstand. Oikawa creeped over, silently picking it up and setting it on top of Eiji’s bedside table. He bent down again, brushing Eiji’s hair back and kissing him on the forehead. The little alpha stirred awake, yawning a bit, before gasping in realization. 

Fully awake in a matter of moments, he turned to Iwa, shaking the fellow alpha, yelling right in the man’s ear, “Mr. Iwa Mr. Iwa!!! Mommy’s home!!!!” 

Iwa woke with a start, half not knowing where he was, a garbled “I’m up!” coming out of his lips at half a shout, all while Eiji jumped off the bed and into his mom’s chest.

“Mommy! We played pirates!” 

“Did you?” Oikawa laughed, resting Eiji on his hip, “I didn’t know pirates wore crowns—”

“We were pirate _kings_ Mommy! Mr. Iwa made our crowns! I drew the diamonds! We had to find the buried treasure!”

Iwa smiled as he sat up in bed, rubbing his face, “It was lots of fun,” he said, still drowsy, standing up to nuzzle Oikawa in greeting. 

“It sounds like it was,” Oikawa said, “Did you find the treasure?” 

“Mhm!!” Eiji nodded, “But then the bad guys tried to take it from us!” 

Oikawa gasped, “The bad guys?” 

“Yeah but we didn’t let them have it—” Eiji stopped for a moment, crinkling his features, “Mommy can I have my milk?” 

“Absolutely,” Oikawa smiled, “How about you tell me the whole thing then?” 

“Ok!” Eiji said excitedly, and Oikawa set him down, the young alpha rushing to head down the stairs. 

Oikawa looked at Iwa, touching his palm and leaning over to kiss his cheek, “Thank you for watching him. Sorry I took so long.” 

“It’s fine,” Iwa smiled, “I like being with him. How was Bokuto?” 

“Tired,” Oikawa explained, “And then Akaashi got home and—I feel like they both needed someone to talk to.” 

Iwa nodded to show he understood. 

“Do you wanna spend the night?” Oikawa asked, “Or do you have work tomorrow?” 

“I’d love to,” Iwa said, “But it’s an early morning for me tomorrow.” 

Oikawa nodded, nuzzling the alpha back, “Sorry for keeping you so late.” 

“Nah,” Iwa said, “I—”

“MOMMY!!!! I CAN’T REACH THE MILK!!” 

Oikawa and Iwa both looked at each other, before snorting, both of them trying to silence their laughter. 

“I, um,” Oikawa licked his lips, “I should go help before he tries to climb into the fridge,” 

“Let me clean up before I go,” Iwa said, the two of them heading out of the room, “I was going to after he fell asleep but I ended up falling asleep too—”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that—“

“Tooru. Your living room is covered in hot lava. I should at least put it out before I leave.” 

“Ah,” Oikawa said, “Is that what all the blankets are for?” 

“Our pirate ship sails through water and lava. That’s where the treasure was.” 

“That’s a rather dependable pirate ship,” Oikawa said. 

“It was,” Iwa said, just as they got to the bottom of the stairs, “Right Eiji? Why don’t you tell your mom how cool our pirate ship was?”

“Oh yeah! We had two _hundred_ canons with _huge_ sails and we made our own pirate flag and…”

Eiji continued telling the entire story of how he and Iwa had battled all sorts of monsters to get to the buried treasure, Oikawa getting the milk ready while Iwa cleaned up the living room. 

And although it didn’t feel like anything major, Eiji talking away the way he usually did, Iwa throwing in a few details every now and again, Oikawa listening to it all, the omega couldn’t help but think that this was more than just something he could used to. 

It was something he didn’t want to lose. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy! I really freaking liked this chapter lol. I'm in a bit of a rush so not sure what else to say but, yeah ^^ Comments are appreciated!


	39. Chapter 39

Oikawa smiled at his phone, the train rocking back and forth as he flipped through the three photos Bokuto had sent him, two of which looked like impromptu selfies—at least based on Akaashi’s expression of surprise. But the omega was laughing, as far as Oikawa could tell, and Bokuto definitely was, that wide smile speaking for him. So Oikawa was happy for him.

Though the brief shots of the ocean were making him slightly jealous. Oikawa kinda started to wish he could take a few weeks off to go visit the beach as well. Maybe he and Iwa could plan a trip to take Eiji. It’d be summer soon enough, after all. And Eiji would definitely like that. The last time Oikawa had taken him to the beach the alpha had been really small. 

Oikawa turned a big, nudging Iwa on the shoulder to get his attention, and then offered the alpha his phone. Iwa moved the bentos a little out of the way, so that he could better look at the phone, smiling when he saw the picture on the screen. “Looks like they’re enjoying themselves.” 

Oikawa nodded happily, bringing his phone back in, “They deserve it,” he smiled, and then locked the screen again, his head shooting up to look at Iwa, “We should go to the beach. Over the summer!” He turned his body just a little more—as much as the train would allow anyway—so that he could properly face Iwa, “I haven’t been in the longest—and Eiji’s only been twice I think. But the last time was with my parents since I was working.”

“Does he know how to swim?” 

Oikawa thought a moment, scrunching up his features, “I think…he _thinks_ he does.” 

Iwa chuckled at that, bringing his arm around Oikawa’s shoulder, making sure to keep the bentos steady with his other hand, “Well, you know my parents live right by the beach. If we go, I could teach him to swim.” 

Oikawa relaxed into the alpha’s touch, though cocked his head to the side in slight confusion, “I thought your parents were in Kyushu?” 

“Yeah?” Iwa mirrored Oikawa’s confusion, “Fukuoka. Right by the beach.” 

“But Kyushu’s—“

“Well we could fly or something…” Iwa managed.

The omega smiled, “If that’s the case then we should make a whole trip of it.”

“We could stay at my parent’s house,” Iwa explained, “—if you’re ok with it. Maybe for a weekend or something? My parents have been saying they wanna meet you and Eiji.” 

The top of the omega’s cheeks tinted pink, a small curl of a smile shaping his lips, “Oh. I’d like to meet them too. Um—well summer is always busy but I’m sure—at least for a weekend…”

“Yeah,” Iwa nuzzled him, “It’s the same for me. But I’m sure we can find a few days that overlap.” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa nodded, his smile growing, “I’d love that! And Eiji too, obviously—if you could teach him to swim that’d be amazing—”

He was interrupted by the train announcing the next stop, Iwa getting up first and offering his hand to Oikawa. Oikawa took it, even though it though it wasn’t really necessary, but he liked the way Iwa’s hand was always strong and sure, warm and pleasant to hold, the omega feeling pleasant little waves from the way the alpha led him out of the train.

Despite the fact that hanami was essentially over, they’d still decided on a picnic. Because there were still a decent amount of flowers on the trees, even if the petals were starting to fall. 

Oikawa had always loved cherry blossoms. The way they smelled, and the way they filled up the streets, first like clouds, covering the view of the sky, and then like snow as the petals fell, the flowers covering the ground so that everything was tinted light pink.

When cherry blossoms bloomed, it was like a brand new season all on its own. 

The good thing about going to viewings so late was that there was hardly anyone else there. Don’t get Oikawa wrong, he greatly enjoyed getting caught in the crowd and sharing in the amazement with everyone, but for now, being able to enjoy the moment without having to push through hoards of people—being able to enjoy it with just Iwa—that was what Oikawa wanted. 

“See a spot you like?” Iwa asked, looking over at the omega.

Oikawa pursed his lips, thinking as he led the way, before deciding on a spot and setting his bag down, so that he could pull out the blanket they’d brought. They were right underneath a large tree, quite a number of petals already on the ground, but the tree itself still dressed beautifully in pin, “Here is good.”

Iwa helped him spread out the blanket, and once they were settled on top, Oikawa placing his bag off to the side, Iwa handed Oikawa his bento, giving a small smile, “Ok. First time cooking stuff like this so—go easy.” 

“I should be the one saying that,” Oikawa gave a bit of a laugh, biting his lip. Even though it’d been his idea from the start, he was already regretting it. A few days ago, the morning show did a segment where couples would make each other bentos on a first date to see how much they knew about each other. The results were amusing, considering it was a first date, but Oikawa kind of wanted to try it too. Mostly because he’d been learning quite a bit about the alpha, and he wanted to show it in a way that was somewhat more tangible. 

Which was why Oikawa had suggested the picnic in the first place. Besides, it was about time they had a date that was just for themselves, anyway.As much as Oikawa loved his son, he wanted to spend some time with just Iwa. 

He licked his lips, thinking it’d be better if Iwa opened up his bento first. That way it wouldn’t look as bad if the bento Iwa made for Oikawa ended up being something extravagant. So he cleared his throat, smiling at the alpha. 

“Go ahead,” Oikawa nodded, “You first.” 

“You sure?” Iwa asked. 

“Yes,” Oikawa motioned with his hands, “I wanna see if I got it right.” 

“Ok,” Iwa smiled, “Let’s see what we’ve got.” 

He put the bento in his lap, unwrapping it and then popping off the top. His eyes widened, and for a moment Oikawa panicked, but then the alpha smiled, so Oikawa was able to breathe. Silently, Iwa picked up his chopsticks, examining the bento. “Flag of Japan,” he pointed at the rice with the sour plum at the center, “I love it. Definitely a rice man,”Oikawa snorted a bit at that, but said nothing, letting Iwa continue, “Salmon—hell yeah—little bit of hamburger steak, good good, veggies—“ he chuckled, glancing up at Oikawa, “You’re such a mom—veggies, and—“ he stopped, crinkling his features, and Oikawa stiffened again, sucking in his lips. 

With his chopsticks, Iwa picked up the little octopus sausage Oikawa had added to the bento. “Is this what I think it is?” 

“Eiji said you’d like it!” Oikawa quickly defended, “And I’m pretty good at making them so I figured it’d be cute to add a few…” his voice trailed off, and Iwa set it back down in his bento box. “You _are_ really good,” Iwa smiled leaning in a bit, “Thank you. I love it.” 

“What do I get?” Oikawa asked.

“Mmm…” Iwa faked, as if he were deep in thought, “9 out of 10.” 

Oikawa crinkled his features, “Why not a 10 out of 10?” 

“Because then that’ll go to your head.” 

Oikawa’s jaw dropped, smacking Iwa on the arm, “It would not!” 

“Already turning to abuse,” Iwa shook his head in lament, clicking his tongue and leaning in just a little more, “See what I mean? You’re too passionate when you compete.” 

Laughing, Oikawa found himself leaning in as well, “What’s wrong with being passionate?” 

In an instant, Iwa’s large palm was behind his neck, pressing their lips together, Oikawa letting out a pleasant hum at the contact, though the alpha pulled away rather quickly. “It makes you lose focus,” Iwa smirked. 

Oikawa smirked right back, reaching for his own bento, “No,” he said easily, “I think I got just what I wanted.” He opened up his bento before Iwa could reply, “Ok my turn!” He poked around his bento, “Tempura—a fine choice, mmm egg, I do like that—rice and hamburger steak—“ he looked up at Iwa, smiling, “I love it—,” looked back down at the bento, crinkling his features, “Are these olives?” 

“And cheese,” Iwa pointed, wagging his finger, “You said you liked that right?” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa bit his lip, to keep himself from grinning too much, “I’ve never seen olives in a bento before.” 

“Does it matter if you like it?” 

“I guess not.” 

“So?” Iwa asked, “What do I get?” 

“Hmm,” Oikawa looked at the bento again, “Ten out of ten.” 

“That high!” 

“Cuz I’m not stingy like you—” Oikawa teased, laughing a bit and then quickly saying his thanks, popping a piece of tempura into his mouth. 

“How’s it taste?” Iwa asked, taking a bite of his own bento. 

“Delicious,” Oikawa said, covering his mouth, “Though I’m not surprised. Eiji’s always talking about how great of a cook you are.” 

“It’s just the omurice.” 

“Mm,” Oikawa agreed, “That was surprisingly good omurice.” 

_“Surprisingly?”_

“Ok, ok,” Oikawa held his hand up, “There are very few single alphas who can cook, ok?” 

“Well I regret to inform you—I’m very much taken.” 

Oikawa made a face, “Oh really now?” 

“Yup,” Iwa chewed, “The most beautiful omega in the world.” 

Briefly, Oikawa’s eyes widened, and he bit back his smile, willing his cheeks to not get so hot over something so simple. He picked at his bento, feeling his chest start to warm. 

“Sounds like a lucky omega…” 

Iwa kissed his cheek, and for a moment Oikawa thought it was sweet, until he realized it was merely a distraction, for the alpha to steal some of his rice. 

“Hajime!” 

“I ran out!” 

“You have some right there!” 

“That’s for the plum, Tooru. You need a good rice to plum ratio.” 

The omega snorted, “I didn’t know there was a science to eating sour plums,” 

“There is,” Iwa said seriously, reaching over to pluck some petals out of Oikawa’s hair, “You’re completely missing out.” 

Oikawa reached up to touch his hair, realizing a few petals had fallen onto his bento as well. 

“Oh, thanks—” he found himself snorting again, setting his bento down and tousling Iwa’s hair in return, “You’ve got some too.” 

Just as they’d both shaken off most of the petals, new ones began to fall, sprinkling all over the entirety of the blanket. 

It was pretty to see in a way, albeit a little annoying having petals in their food, but it would’ve been fine, probably, if Iwa hadn’t grabbed a handful of fallen petals, and then proceeded to throw them into Oikawa’s face. 

Oikawa yelped at first, surprised by the sudden flurry of pink, but when he realized what happened, the omega fell completely silent, blinking at his nearly empty bento box that was now stock full with petals. 

“Hajime.” 

“I—” the alpha smiled a bit, “Sorry, couldn’t help it—”

“Couldn’t help it?” Oikawa lifted a brow, pushing the bento away, “Couldn’t help ambushing me?” He crawled over a little, getting closer to the alpha. 

“You were left wide open—”

“So your first thought was cherry blossoms—”

“Yeah—” Iwa managed, though he’d become a bit short of breath from the way Oikawa’s body was all stretched out like that, Oikawa’s scent mixing with the cherry blossoms so dangerously sweet—

“If you apologize properly, I’ll forgive you.” Oikawa said, snapping Iwa from his train of thought. 

The alpha shook his head, regaining focus, palm closing around another bushel of petals, just in case, “And how does one apologize properly?” 

The omega gave a simple smile, “A kiss, of course.” 

Not needing to be told twice, Iwa began to lean in, eyes already closed. Though instead of Oikawa’s lips, he was met with cherry blossoms to the mouth. His eyes shot open, Oikawa giving a wild smirk that was accompanied by a snort he tried to hide with his hand, laughing obnoxiously into his palm, “Weren’t you the one who said not to lose focus?—Oh my god I’m sorry I didn’t mean to get it in your mouth—” 

Iwa tried to get him back, but Oikawa dodged, squealing again, managing a handful and successfully getting Iwa in the face again, Iwa growling a small bit in frustration, grabbing Oikawa by the waist and pulling him down on top of him, the two of them laughing against each other. Reaching for another handful, Iwa sprinkled it all over Oikawa’s head, calling it pixie dust. 

Oikawa laughed, resting against Iwa’s chest, “Does that make me a fairy?” 

“You’d be one heavy fairy—”

“Hajime!” 

“Fairies are like— _this big_ —” Iwa showed the distance between two fingers, “And they’re definitely not this pretty,” his voice got deeper as he said so, fingers trailing down the omega’s back while he nuzzled, squeezing lightly at Oikawa’s sides.

“Stop—“ Oikawa blushed, trying to pull away, “I’m not that pretty—”

Iwa held on tight, kissing him, nuzzling and soothing the omega. Iwa’s scent, mixed with the scent of cherry blossoms was something Oikawa couldn’t quite pinpoint. Not nostalgic, exactly. But it definitely had that comfort to it, that easy brightness of a spring afternoon, so much so that he found himself purring on accident. 

He caught himself though, stopping and sitting up, because they were still in _public_ after all, and their current position might have been fine if they were in _high school_ or something but it definitely wasn’t how two parents should be acting. So he sat up, though Iwa was a little reluctant to let go, and fixed his hair, shaking out the few remaining petals. Then without much thought, he stuck his tongue out at Iwa, “I won, just so you know.” 

“If by won you mean lost then sure,” Iwa shrugged, brushing himself off. 

“Hajime,” Oikawa rolled his eyes, packing up the bentos, “You need to start realizing that I’ll always win or this isn’t going to work.” 

“ _Always_ always?”

“Always,” Oikawa nodded his head in affirmation, “It’s just how it goes.” 

“What is that, some sort of omega card I’m not aware of?” 

“No,” Oikawa smiled, pecking the alpha on the lips, “It’s an Oikawa Tooru thing.” 

Iwa brought him in for another kiss, claiming the omega’s mouth with his tongue. 

“You taste like olives, Oikawa _I always win_ Tooru,” he said. 

Oikawa bit his lip, his eyes crinkling at the edges, “You taste like sour plum.” 

“Is it good?” 

“Yes,” Oikawa kissed him again, just to make sure, “Delicious.” 

They kissed for a little longer than Oikawa would have wanted to admit, and though he wasn’t exactly out of breath, he was breathless just the same, Oikawa giving in to his instincts to purr, letting Iwa’s scent hug him in every way. 

“I love you,” he murmured, nuzzling the alpha on the nose, so softly that it almost felt like a dream. 

Oikawa didn’t quite realize it, until he pulled away a little more, and he saw the expression on the alpha’s face. 

_Oh._

The world went silent. 

It was so fucking stupid but the world went silent, a soft breeze making more petals fall onto Iwa’s head, the expression in Iwa’s eyes something Oikawa had never seen, something Oikawa wanted to see more of, wanted to see a lot more of, the light making them look green, almost, Oikawa wondering if Iwa’s eyes had always been that color, wondered if things had fallen silent for Iwa too, and suddenly Iwa was leaning in again, bumping his nose against Oikawa’s, the simple touch bringing sound to his ears again. 

_“I love you too.”_

Oikawa felt his breath catch, closing his eyes to feel the warmth of Iwa’s cheeks against his own.

And it would have been almost perfect, if his phone hadn’t started to go off. 

He jolted, Iwa seeming rather surprised as well, Oikawa giving a small groan, smiling and then reaching into his pocket to turn it off. “Better pick up Eiji.” 

“Mm,” Iwa smiled, kissing his cheek, before another alarm began to go off. 

Oikawa crinkled his features, watching the alpha reach into his pocket, and then give a shy smile, “Sorry, I—” he put the phone away, “I had an alarm set too.” 

Feeling his chest tighten, Oikawa looked at Iwa with wide eyes, “You have an alarm set for Eiji?” 

“Well, yeah,” Iwa said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I just kinda figured…”

Not letting him finish, Oikawa leaned in, grabbing Iwa’s cheeks with both hands, pressing their lips together in a way that was almost harsh, and it wasn’t until Iwa put his hands on Oikawa’s wrists, that the omega realized his palms were shaking. 

“Hey,” Iwa gave a gentle smile, wiping Oikawa’s cheeks with his thumbs, “Is it weird that I did?” 

“Why would it be weird?” Oikawa laughed, pulling away a bit and getting a hold of himself, but Iwa just pulled him back in, drowning him with his scent. 

They definitely had to get going soon. But Oikawa thought it was fine if he indulged for just a little longer, in that soft scent that was the falling of cherry blossoms, and the comforting nuzzles that were Iwaizumi Hajime. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fair warning, this chapter as well as chapter 40 were written during a really bad block, so I apologize for their quality. Regardless, I hope you can still enjoy them. I will say though that Chapter 41 more than makes up for it, and I am happy to say I am no longer stuck ^o^ Honestly chapter 41 is like one of my absolute favorites, and it's already up if you'd like to read. So is chapter 8 of the Sheiji. As always, please visit my tumblr if you want to know more. Thank you all for so much of your support and for being so patient for the update these past two weeks. School finally caught up to me. Only 2 more weeks for exams and then graduation on May 11th. I can't wait! 
> 
> Also! For those of you who follow me on tumblr, I will be posting headcanons to my original omegaverse story soon. More details to come, but I'm super excited to finally be starting on an original project ^o^ 
> 
> There's only 6-8 chapters left of this story and I can't believe it. It's been a wild ride you guys.


	40. Chapter 40

“What the fuck that’s so cute!” Teru’s voice was a bit too loud for the small coffee shop, but there wasn’t much Akaashi could do to try and quiet him down, especially when Teru was excitedly flipping through every picture on Akaashi’s phone. 

“Look at you two! This is like actually picture perfect with the beach and everything—“ he continued scrolling, before stopping abruptly, a sly grin creeping onto his lips, “Oh? What’s this one?” He wiggled the phone at Akaashi, Bokuto’s bare back taking up the entirety of the screen. 

“Nothing!” Akaashi sneered, taking his phone back, letting out a short but embarrassed growl.

“Wait,” Teru whined, reaching for it, “I wasn’t finished looking—”

“No,” Akaashi shook his head, “After that it’s…”

Teru’s eyes widened, before his smile got real wide, the omega practically hurling himself across the table, “Should you have that kind of shit on your phone?” 

“It’s not bad!” Akaashi reddened, “It’s just…kissing…and stuff—”

_“And stuff,”_ Teru made a face, “You guys are so cute it’s disgusting. I’d hate it but I love you. More importantly,” he slapped his hands together, before pointing them at Akaashi, “Are you ok? Better now? You should’ve called me.” 

“I didn’t want to bother you. If anyone deserved some time away to just be with their alpha it was you—”

“Still—!“

“Besides,” Akaashi managed to laugh, “I doubt you would have picked up the phone. I take it no pictures means Ushijima kept you in the hotel for an entire week?” 

“We took pictures!” Terushima snapped, sticking out his tongue, his piercing catching the light.

Akaashi’s eyes widened, and this time he was the one who leaned across the table, “They let you put it back in?” 

“Hm?” Teru lifted his brow, “My piercing? Oh, once the wedding was over it didn’t matter. Not like anyone’s gonna see it. Besides,” he licked his lips, showing it off, “Toshi likes this.” 

Akaashi snorted, hiding his laughter behind his hand, “I bet he does—”

“Maybe you should get one too. I’m sure Mr. Bartender would appreciate—”

“Absolutely not—”

“Never know,” Terushima shrugged, “Could change your life~” 

“Right,” Akaashi laughed, “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“Ok,” Terushima spoke while sipping his coffee, which left Akaashi wondering how he actually managed it, “But seriously. You doing ok?”

Gripping at his coffee cup, Akaashi gave a small smile, nodding his head, “I think it was just a shock, mostly.” 

“Yeah no shit I mean— _fuck—_ but Bokuto seems to have handled it well?” 

Again Akaashi smiled, “He was very supportive.” 

“Good. That’s what an alpha’s supposed to be.” 

“The trip helped a lot,” Akaashi continued, “And we’ve been to a few more doctors since then as well.” 

“Any of ‘em say anything?” 

“Well,” Akaashi cleared his throat, “The basic idea is that it’s not impossible. Just very unlikely.”

“That means there’s hope, right?” Teru smiled nice and wide, taking a bite of his pastry.

Nodding, Akaashi returned the smile, “Yes! And either way, we’re not ready for a child right now, so we’re just not going to worry about it. But when the time comes, Koutarou and I are going to try for that small sliver of possibility.” 

Terushima bit the corner of his lip to keep his smile from getting too big. Quietly, he took another sip of his coffee. “ _Koutarou_ , huh?” 

Akaashi felt his cheeks warm, mirroring Teru and taking a spiteful sip, “Well…that’s his name isn’t it?” 

“Yeah it is,” Terushima laughed, “So does shooting for the possibly possible mean fucking like rabbits till you get pregnant?” 

Akaashi nearly choked on his coffee, grabbing his napkin and dabbing at his shirt, because a little had managed to spill, “No! That’s—I’m on birth control now, I told you. To regulate my heats—”

Leaning back, Terushima crossed his arms, a smug expression on his face, “In other words: yes. Actually just looking at you now—not hard to guess, Akaashi.” 

Akaashi put his napkin down, smoothing it out, his heart beating fast, “Is it really?…”

“Mm. Your scent makes it obvious enough. That guy’s surprisingly possessive, huh?” 

Without meaning to, Akaashi’s hands rose up to his scent glands, brushing over the swollen skin, “I…I suppose so…”

Terushima grinned, “Isn’t being bonded great?” 

Biting his lip, Akaashi gave a quick nod, “Whenever he scent marks me—”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” Terushima waved his hands, “I mean I _do_ , obviously, but we’re almost out of time and we’re out in public. So next time. But—yes! It’s the same for me.” 

“Long way to go from perfect,” Akaashi laughed, shaking his head, “But tell me about you. Things have been better with Ushijima, right?” 

“Mmmm bonding helps a lot,” Terushima hummed, “It’s not exactly what I thought married life would be but that can’t be helped.” 

“What do you mean?”

Teru hesitated for a moment, side-eyeing his coffee.

“Let’s just say he’s being promoted, so. He doesn’t have a lot of time anymore. Not that he really did before but, you know what I mean.” 

“I’m sorry—”

Terushima waved his hand, “Oh don’t! It’s great! I mean not the lack of time thing but— since we’re bonded now I think he’s realized a few things. I mean you know me, I fight him on everything. But well,” Terushima’s hands rose to touch his own scent glands, “I think he gets it now. When I’m anxious, I mean.” 

A soft smile formed on Akaashi’s lips, “That’s good—”

“Like when he leaves, he always tells me now. Even if I’m sleeping he’ll wake me up!” The words started coming out faster and faster, the more Teru seemed to talk, “And when he gets home we always scent mark each other. He’s really dense but, he’s trying.”

“I’m happy for you,” Akaashi said, “Though I think you’re lying.” 

Teru made a face, “Lying?” 

“About Ushijima not having a lot of time. Your scent’s pretty strong too, you know,” he motioned to his friend with his coffee, shooting him a knowing glance. 

Terushima snorted, biting the edge of his lip, “Toshi calls it his stress relief.” 

“He must be incredibly stressed, if you smell like that—”

“Oh, oh,” Teru put his hands up, “Like _Koutarou_ is any better—”

“It’s all within reason!” 

“Akaashi.” Terushima slammed his cup down, looking Akaashi dead in the face, “Sex is not—and should not _ever_ be— _within reason—”_

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Oh well then what did you mean!” 

They were both laughing, holding onto their coffee, aware of the few stares they were getting but not really caring. The past few weeks had definitely been a constant series of ups and downs, but for right now, Akaashi couldn’t be more grateful that he could talk to Teru again. There was just something about talking with a best friend that seemed to fix everything. 

“Speaking of! I’ve never seen Hanzo make that face before—”

“What do you mean—”

“When he saw your bond mark. It was full of murderous intent.” 

Akaashi rolled his eyes, “I seriously doubt that—”

“No, really. I don’t think Bokuto was jealous without reason—”

“Well tell Hanzo there’s a very young girl who is quite eager to capture his attention—”

“I’m not gonna tell him that,” Teru clicked his tongue, “If he can’t notice that on his own then he doesn’t deserve to be told—”

“Still though. She looked so heartbroken—”

“She needs to toughen the fuck up. Or find a way out.” 

Silently, Akaashi nodded, “Well. I’ve never known very much about it.” 

“Trust me,” Teru said, taking the last bite of his pastry, “It’s better that way.” When Teru looked up again, he smiled, looking at something behind Akaashi. Akaashi crinkled his features, turning around to find Bokuto walking up to them. 

“Hey,” Bokuto gave a wave to Terushima, before bending down and nuzzling his mate in greeting. 

“Is it 2 o’clock already?” Akaashi asked, practically purring into Bokuto’s caresses. 

“2:15,” the alpha explained, “I was running a little late. Good to see you again, Terushima.”

Teru smiled back, “You as well.” 

“I can wait in the car, if you want—” Bokuto began, but Teru waved his hands, picking up his trash, “Not like we can’t meet up again. Besides you guys have apartment hunting to do, right?” 

The pride in Akaashi’s smile was undeniable, the sudden glow the omega got as he leaned into his mate. 

There was something about it. Either the smile on Akaashi’s face, or the glow in Bokuto’s cheeks. But whichever one it was, Teru couldn’t help but think that when they stood together like that, they really were picture-perfect.

* * *

 

“Isn’t that kind of far, though?” There was a bit of fuzz when she spoke, so Tooru figured the connection was a little shaky. 

“Well it’s not like we’re _walking_ there, Machiko—”

“Obviously _not_ Too-ru—”

Oikawa shifted the phone to his other ear, “I just hope Eiji will be ok. He’s never been on a plane before—”

“It’s fine! Slap some headphones on him and put on a movie, he won’t notice anything.” 

“But you know how fussy he gets! I don’t want to be the one with the annoying kid—”

“Honestly? He’s four so…too late. But you’ll be fine. I think you should be more worried about meeting Iwa’s parents—”

“That’s obviously the part I’m more worried about—”

“But it’s exciting, right? I mean—it’s his parents!” 

Oikawa sighed, sifting through work documents, “Yeah I mean—obviously—but—“

“What?” 

“They’re all pack leaders! What if they hate that their son is dating an omega?” 

“I don’t think he’d go through all that trouble if his parents were prejudiced, no?” 

“Yeah, I know but—you know how alphas are—”

“You worry way too freaking much—”

A small growl hummed in Oikawa’s throat, “How about you stop stating the obvious and actually do your job as an older sister—”

“Which would be what, exactly—”

“I don’t know! Say everything’s gonna be ok or something!” 

“How the hell am I supposed to know that? I’m not a fortune teller—”

“Machiko.” 

She laughed, an ugly sound, really, if you asked Tooru, “Relax,” she said, “I keep telling you. You’re always so tense. He loves you so they’ll love you. Besides no one’s worse than Mom, pack leader or not. You’ve unconsciously been preparing your whole life for this.” 

Oikawa thought a moment, giving in with a nod, “I guess that’s true. Mom can be sort of—”

“Terrifying?”

“I was going to say intimidating.”

“Same thing. But since we’re on the subject. If we’re meeting his parents, don’t you think he’s planning to propose soon?” 

“No. It’s too soon for that. Also— _I’m_ meeting his parents. Not _we.”_

“If you’re meeting them then I’m meeting them by association!” Tooru could hear the huff Machiko gave into the phone, “But you answered that really fast. You don’t wanna get married yet?” 

Tooru thought a moment, tapping his fingers anxiously against his desk, “It’s not that…exactly. I just don’t really see him asking me any time soon.” 

“How come?” 

Tooru shrugged, “I don’t know. We’ve always moved pretty slow. And he really does take Eiji into consideration with everything. Plus he just seems like the type to discuss it with me before proposing.” 

There was a dead silence on the other end of the line, and Tooru had to throw out a _hello_ to make sure she was still there. 

“Sorry I just. That sounds so lame.” 

“How is that lame!” 

“Because where’s the fun in that! He’s gonna ask for your permission before he proposes?” 

“I didn’t—you make it sound weird when you say it like that!”

“Say it like what! I’m repeating what you said to me!” Machiko argued.

“All I’m saying,” Tooru managed, “Is that there’d probably be like an understanding or consent beforehand—”

“ _Cons_ —Tooru, are you listening to yourself?” 

_“What?”_

“Forget it,” Machiko skipped right over that, “Ok so you probably don’t have to worry about that then. What about the actual trip? Are you all packed? Snacks? Traveling with kids is an actual nightmare.” 

“I bought Eiji a neck pillow,” Tooru explained, “And we went shopping for some of his favorite snacks so he could put them in his backpack.” 

“Good,” Machiko praised, “Should keep him quiet for most of the flight.” 

Tooru sighed, “I hope so. But if his ears start popping I know I’ll never hear the end of it.” 

“So just ask Iwa to use his damn pack leader magic and force your kid asleep!” 

“Machiko!” 

“What! You omegas and alphas don’t realize how lucky you are! If I could give out pheromones that make my kid sleepy I would’ve done it all day everyday.” 

Tooru heard a garbled _I can hear you Mom!_ coming from Machiko’s end, to which Machiko yelled back something Tooru didn’t quite catch. 

“Anyway,” Machiko said, returning to the conversation, “I’d say if he’s gonna act up, better to get it all out on the airplane. You don’t want him throwing a fit in front of his potential grandparents, right?” 

Tooru paled, color draining from his face because he honest to god hadn’t even considered that yet. 

“Oh. Fuck.” 

“Woops,” Machiko popped her lips, “Forget I said that! I’m sure Eiji will be on his best behavior!” 

“I don’t know…” Tooru took off his glasses, looking away from his computer, “God I’m so stressed.” 

“That’s ok! Just don’t think about it too much. It’s supposed to be a vacation!” 

“Maybe we should’ve waited though. I don’t think I’m ready—”

“Tooru.” 

“What—”

“You’re being a piss baby.” 

“Well that’s not my fault! The only thing I was worried about were Eiji’s ears popping on the plane but now you’ve got me thinking about tantrums and proposals—he can’t propose! Not yet! What am I supposed to say?”

“Um…yes?” 

“I can’t say that!” 

“Why the hell not?” 

“Ok, no,” Oikawa shook his head, “I’m not going to worry about that, because he’s not going to propose. So that’s that.” 

“Tooru,” Machiko said seriously, “Are you saying that if Iwa proposed you’d reject him? After everything you guys have been through?” 

“I didn’t say that—“

“Well what then?” 

“I don’t know!” Tooru blurted, “That’s scary! It’s scary, isn’t it? I’d really rather talk to him about it first. Just so we’re both on the same page…” 

It wasn’t that Oikawa hadn’t thought about it before. He just kind of always assumed that’d be something he and Iwa discuss together beforehand. They already sort of had, of course, as a sort of future possibility, but never as anything definitive. 

He closed his eyes, listening to Machiko ramble on about how he shouldn’t worry and something about airports. 

Worrying was just in his nature. Both as a mother, and as an omega. But maybe Machiko had a point. No use worrying about what hadn’t happened yet. For now, it’d probably be smarter to focus on Eiji anyway, because although he hadn’t had a tantrum in a while, something told Oikawa that he would be rather grumpy after flying. At the same time though, Iwa would be there to help. And after so many years of doing everything alone, it was kind of nice to exhale, knowing that if Eiji _did_ end up throwing a tantrum in the middle of the airport, that Iwa would be right there to back him up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so once again this was written during a block so I apologize. But if you'll allow me to scream for a moment: SCREAMS!! 
> 
> I fucking love the next two chapters after this. Like oh my god. I'm so excited you guys you don't even know ^o^ Ty for all of the support!! You guys are awesome :D


	41. Chapter 41

Oikawa pinched his chin with his fingers, staring down at Eiji. Eiji stared right back at him, eyes wide and filled with determination.

“Socks?”

“Check!” Eiji threw out his leg, waving it around so he mom could see that he was indeed wearing socks.

“Backpack?” 

This time Eiji jumped, whirling himself around, pointing at his Lightning McQueen backpack that was strapped securely around his shoulders, “Check!” 

“What about your snacks?” Oikawa asked, and Eiji turned back around, facing him mom and unzipping his backpack to show him, “All packed!” 

“Mm, good,” Oikawa nodded, “But what about your ears?” 

Eiji blinked, zipping his backpack back up while he scrunched his features, “My ears?” 

“I don’t see them!” Oikawa bent down, ruffling through Eiji’s hair, purposefully avoiding his ears, “Did you forget them?” 

Eiji giggled, trying to get away, “No! Mommy! You can’t forget your ears!” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Eiji pulled on his ears so that they stuck out, “They’re attached to you!” 

“Oh my goodness,” Oikawa said, pulling on Eiji’s ears now too, “There they are!” 

“Heehee Mommy! Let go!” 

Oikawa did, but pulled his son in to scent him. Eiji giggled into the nuzzles, and it wasn’t until Iwa came into the hallway that the pair broke apart. 

“Phone,” Iwa said, handing it off to Oikawa. 

He gasped, taking it gratefully, “Oh my god—thank you, I almost forgot it—”

“Mommy needs a checklist too!” 

“Maybe he does,” Oikawa said, ruffling Eiji’s hair again, before looking up at Iwa, “Are you all set?” 

“Yep,” Iwa nodded, patting his pocket, “Phone, keys, wallet. Luggage is already at the door—”

“Can we go now!! I wanna ride the airplane!” 

“The taxi will be here at 9:30 right?” Oikawa asked, opening up his schedule on his phone.

“Yeah,” Iwa nodded, “Want me to start taking the suitcases down?” 

“I can help!” Eiji offered, rushing to Iwa’s side, “I wanna go with Mr. Iwa!” 

“Hey now,” Oikawa pouted, “I’m gonna be all left out!” 

“Mommy can take my backpack!” Eiji informed, already sliding it off his shoulders, “I’ll take the suitcase!” He handed it off to his mom, already running towards the luggage, tugging at the top handle.

“Ah, Eiji—”

The suitcase flew clear off the floor, and for a moment Oikawa thought his son had developed into some sort of mutant, but then he realized Iwa had just picked up the other end. 

“Whoa little man! You’re super strong!”

Oikawa tried to hide his smirk behind his hand, but it didn’t really work, “My two manly men~” 

“We got this Mommy!” 

It didn’t take very long for the boys to drag the suitcases down to the bottom floor of the apartment, Oikawa standing guard at the bottom while holding onto Eiji’s little backpack. When they were all done, Iwa placed Eiji on his lap to wait for the taxi to get there. 

“You locked the door, right?” Oikawa asked. 

“Yup,” Iwa nodded, “Keys are in my pocket.” 

“And all the lights were off?” 

“Mhm—”

“I checked all the rooms Mommy!” 

Oikawa reached out to pat his son’s hair, “Thank you for that, Eiji!” He was smiling, until he remembered something else. “Oh! The gift for your parents—!”

“In my suitcase, remember?” 

“That’s right,” Oikawa smiled, “Good.” 

“Do we have everything, Mommy?” Eiji asked.

“I think we do sweetheart,” Oikawa answered with a smile. 

Eiji kept the same amount of energy all throughout the taxi ride to the airport. It wasn’t a very exciting drive, but Eiji seemed to make it so, pointing out a bunch of different things outside the window, Oikawa and Iwa taking turns in explaining what each building was, or what purpose it served. It wasn’t until they arrived at the airport that Oikawa started to feel nervous. Because airports were big places. And the reality that he was meeting Iwa’s parents was starting to dawn on him.

“Ok, Eiji,” Oikawa said once they were out of the taxi, bending down so that he was level with Eiji, “You have to always be holding onto either mine or Mr. Iwa’s hand, ok?” 

“Ok Mommy!” 

“If you go somewhere without one of us we will catch another taxi and go right back home, do you understand?”

“Yes Mommy!” 

“Good,” Oikawa pressed against his knees, straightening and holding his hand out to Eiji, walking to the back of the taxi where Iwa was helping the driver unload their luggage. 

“I believe this one’s yours, Little Man,” Iwa held out Eiji’s backpack, and Eiji spread out his arms, so that Iwa could put it on him. Oikawa took the larger suitcase, since that had his and Eiji’s stuff in it, and Iwa took his own, the three of them stepping into the airport together after Iwa paid the driver. 

It’d been a while since Oikawa had last been in an airport. In all honesty he kind of dreaded airports, but the pure awe in Eiji’s face made it bearable. Naturally, the young alpha wanted to see _everything,_ which is precisely why Oikawa had wanted to arrive as early as possible. 

They wandered around the endless shops while they waited to check in, Eiji wanting to buy every other thing he saw, Oikawa trying to insist that _no, he didn’t need a magnet of the flag of Japan, those were for tourists,_ and that _yes, the kit-kats were also for tourists,_ but it didn’t really help when Iwa ended up buying a bag of matcha kit-kats, though he did share it with everyone so that was nice. 

Check-in was the longest line Oikawa had ever had the displeasure of standing in, and Eiji was as impatient as ever, but Iwa did his best to keep him entertained, and it was, Oikawa learned, the reason why the alpha had bought the kit-kats in the first place. 

“You’re starting to think like a Dad,” Oikawa smirked, nudging the alpha in the stomach. 

“Well, I’ve been getting some practice in,” Iwa chuckled, until Eiji was at his heels again, asking for another piece of chocolate. 

“Fatal mistake though,” Oikawa said, “He’s gonna get sugar rush. And then what?”

Iwa shook his head while chewing on a kit-kat, “He’s already feeling the rush. This way he’ll crash when we get on the plane.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened in surprise, before he nodded in approval, “I’m impressed.” 

“Thanks,” Iwa grinned. 

The plane ride went exactly as Iwa said it would. After about 15 minutes of being overly excited, and staring out the window, and playing around with his tv screen, Eiji passed out against Iwa’s arm. 

Oikawa took a picture. Almost set it as his lock screen.

“You know,” he said, setting his phone down, “You basically just drugged my kid up.” 

“Sugar’s not a drug,” Iwa said simply. 

“No, but sugar crash plus your scent is a recipe for sleep.” 

“So what I’m hearing is,” Iwa said, “I’m super resourceful. 

Oikawa chuckled, leaning over so that he could kiss his cheek, “Thank you. I know if he could feel his ears popping that would’ve been hell.”

“Trust me,” Iwa chuckled, “I know.” 

Oikawa found himself giggling too, biting his lip to keep it contained. 

They weren’t so lucky though, because Eiji woke up just before they were beginning their descent, so he caught the majority of the ear popping. Oikawa thought he’d never hear the end of it. 

Because after ten times of saying the exact same thing, Eiji still wasn’t letting it go. 

“But,” Eiji whined, covering his ears with both his hands, asking for the 12th time now, “Does it go away?” 

“Just yawn,” Iwa suggested, “A big yawn, like this,” he demonstrated, shaking his head. Eiji copied Iwa’s movements, but then grimaced, saying it didn’t work. 

“Once the plane lands,” Oikawa said, “And you get to solid ground, it’ll feel better.” 

“Really Mommy?” 

“Mm,” Oikawa nodded, “Promise.” 

Either that did in fact happen, or Eiji was simply to excited to worry about his ears, because when they got off the plane he was a ball of energy again, trying to run ahead but not getting very far, because Oikawa was rather harsh with his scolding when they were out in public, reminding Eiji that he had to hold onto someone’s hands. 

Though his harshness was sort of combined with the fact that Oikawa was nervous. Which was an understatment. His stomach was churning so much he thought he might throw up. 

What if Iwa’s parents didn’t like him? What if they asked him to no longer see his son? What if Iwa was lying when he said they weren’t prejudice? He was an omega, after all, and Iwa came from a family of pack leaders. He was a _bonded_ omega at that. Surely no mother wanted that for their son. Sure everyone _wanted_ to support those kinds of things but it was hard when it was put into reality. There were just a lot of things that came with it, Oikawa understood that, but that was exactly why he was so terrified. 

He just wanted them to like him.

Once they made it through the terminal, it didn’t take very long for Oikawa to figure out who Iwa’s parents were in the mismatched crowd. The resemblance was unreal between Iwa and his father, his mother also strangely similar, and Oikawa noticed that the way the older alpha had his arm around his wife’s waist was reminiscent of the way Iwa would hold him. 

As they got closer, Eiji seemed to get shyer, and Oikawa would be lying if he said he weren’t a bit intimidated himself, because they weren’t just alphas, but pack leaders, three of them now all within a five-foot radius. 

It was just a tad bit overwhelming.

“Hajime!” his mom was the first one to step forward, embracing and scent marking her son, but she made it quick, the alpha woman turning to Oikawa next with outstretched hands, “And you must be Oikawa Tooru! We’ve heard so much about you!” 

“Yes,” Oikawa smiled, his heart beating fast, “You as well,” he accepted the hug, before introducing Eiji, “This is my son, Eiji,” he took a step to the side, so that Eiji could come into view, though the young alpha still clung to his mother’s leg. Oikawa gave him an encouraging rub on his back, telling him to introduce himself. 

“I’m Oikawa Eiji,” he said softly, “Nice to meet you.” 

“You’re a very handsome boy, Eiji!” 

“Thank you, ma’am.” 

“This is my husband,” she motioned to the alpha, smiling wide, “Reo.” 

“Mom,” Iwa scoffed, “You didn’t give your name.” 

“Oh of course! Iwaizumi Hiroka,” she gave a small bow, “Very nice to meet you!” 

Her husband came up to her, nuzzling her hair, “Reel in your scent, love. You’re scaring him.” 

“Oh I’m so sorry!” she brought her hand over her mouth in embarrassment, “I get excited, you see—”

“She hasn’t seen me in a while so she goes all mom mode,” Iwa explained, nuzzling Oikawa, “Kinda like you.” 

“Well,” Oikawa gave a smile that was a mix of embarrassment and pride, “I can understand that.” 

“Shall we get going?” Iwa’s father suggested, “I’m sure you all want to see the beach.” 

Eiji seemed to liven up at that, coming out from behind Oikawa’s legs, “Mr. Iwa is gonna teach me how to swim!” 

“Well doesn’t that just sound like a hoot,” Hiroka smiled, “You know the ocean is the best place to learn how to swim.”

“I’m gonna be the best swimmer!” Eiji declared, though he became shy again after saying so, clinging to Oikawa once more.

It was Iwa and his dad who took the luggage from that point on, Oikawa walking with Hiroka and Eiji, starting up on some easy small talk. 

It wasn’t awkward, the way Oikawa had thought it would be. If anything he found it a bit pleasant, Iwa’s mom talking about how they’d been looking forward to meeting both Tooru and Eiji, saying that she’d already asked Iwa but she wanted to make sure neither one of them had any allergies. 

“No,” Oikawa smiled, “We’re not—”

“I’m allergic to nattou!” Eiji declared, all of his previous shyness suddenly gone. 

“Is that so?” 

“Ah no,” Oikawa waved his hands, before tugging at Eiji, “Just because you don’t _like_ nattou doesn’t mean you’re allergic to it, Eiji.” 

“You know,” Hiroka smiled, bending a bit so she’d be closer to Eiji, “I don’t like nattou either,” she scrunched up her face, showing off a disgusted expression. 

Eiji gave a boyish giggle, still half hiding behind his mom, half giving into the solidarity that was a mutual hatred of fermented soybeans. 

The car ride to the Iwaizumi household wasn’t too long, though Eiji was still rather fidgety regardless, but luckily, Oikawa Iwa and Eiji all got to sit in the back together while Iwa’s parents rode in the front. 

Iwa held onto Oikawa’s hand, rubbing encouraging little circles into the back of the omega’s palm with his thumb. It was small, but it helped put Oikawa at ease. 

While they drove, Reo kept pointing out different buildings or streets and such, introducing them to the area. Which was then followed by a grand tour of the house when they arrived, spending quite a bit of time on the wall of trophies the family had. Most of which, Reo explained, belonged to Hajime. 

“Dad—”

“Do forgive him,” Hiroka piped up, “He’s a Leo so he enjoys showing off.” 

“Again with the horoscopes, Hiro—”

“He doesn’t believe in any of that,” she explained, turning to Tooru, “But it doesn’t change the fact that he enjoys bragging—”

“Whoa Mr. Iwa!!” Eiji ran up to the wall of trophies, staring at them in awe, “Did you really win all of these??” 

“Long time ago,” Iwa chuckled, “Some of them are my mom’s, though.” 

“You played sports too Hiroka-san?” Oikawa asked, cocking his head curiously. He would have thought Iwa’s father was the more athletic one. 

“Mmm,” she nodded her head, “We’re a family of sporty people. But in my prime I was unbeatable as far as soccer was concerned. That seems like a long time ago now, though.” 

“I play soccer too!!” Eiji shouted, “I’m the captain sometimes at daycare!!” 

“Oh my goodness,” Hiroko smiled, bending down to match Eiji, “Maybe we’ll have some new trophies coming in soon.” 

“I’m gonna win all the trophies!” The little alpha declared, followed by an unceremonious growl of his stomach, upon which he quickly crossed his hands over his tummy, leaning against his mom a bit to save himself the embarrassment. 

Reo chuckled, saying they should hurry up and eat lunch if they wanted to make it to the beach today. 

That prompted a quick lunch—which was delicious, by the way, Oikawa made a mental note to ask for the recipe later—followed by a change of clothes that included a struggle with Eiji, Oikawa insisting that the young alpha had to put sunscreen on, or else they wouldn’t go at all. 

It was…sort of humiliating. Because Oikawa didn’t want Iwa’s mom to think that _he_ was a bad mom or anything like that, because if there was one thing Oikawa had learned about moms both by watching the ones at the daycare and by virtue of being one himself was that mothers were just really… _judgemental._ And if he couldn’t get Eiji to put his sunscreen on then what kind of mom was he, really? Certainly if he couldn’t do this much then maybe Iwa’s parents would think he wasn’t suited to be with their son, either. And that had his head swirling. In the ‘I’ve just eaten three cotton candies and have chosen to ride the spinning teacups’ kind of swirl. Which was definitely not the good kind.

God he was going to throw up. 

“Eiji,” he tried to sound commanding, but he was kind of just pleading at this point, “You need to put sunscreen on or you’ll get a sunburn.” 

“I won’t!” Eiji insisted, “I’ll be fine!” 

“You know,” Hiroka stepped in, towel in hand, “If you do get sunburned, then you’ll have to stay inside for the rest of the trip.” 

“She’s right,” Oikawa encouraged, licking his lips, “You don’t want that, do you?” 

It took a little more nudging, but eventually Eiji gave in, making a face like he was being tortured while Oikawa coated him from head to toe in sunscreen, doing his face over three times for good measure. He finished it off with a quick scenting, nuzzling his son who had completely run out of patience. 

“Can we go to the beach now??” 

Reo was the one to answer, and he took care of entertaining Eiji for a bit while Iwa pulled Oikawa aside, so they could talk out of earshot. 

“This is gonna sound really awkward,” he said, showing Oikawa a strange expression. 

Without really meaning to, Oikawa swallowed, because maybe he’d already fucked up more than what he could make up. Maybe Iwa’s parents didn’t want him staying in the house. Maybe they thought he was holding Iwa back because Reo and Hiroka both couldn’t stop staring at his bond mark and Oikawa had already figured it would be like that but—

“It’s just my mom pointed out um,” Iwa scratched the back of his head, “Well that—maybe I should scent Eiji too? So if he gets lost, you know…” he continued to rub his neck, “My scent is more known, in the area.” 

Oikawa blinked, letting the exhale of relief soothe his tension filled lungs. 

Is that all it was. 

“Oh,” he sighed, shaking his hand at the alpha, “Yeah that’s fine. That’s a good idea, actually. I didn’t think of that.” 

“Yeah?” Iwa asked, leaning in a bit, “You’d be ok with that?” 

Smiling, Oikawa gave a firm nod. That was nothing in comparison to what he’d thought up in his head. Besides, it was about time Eiji got used to Iwa’s scent anyway. 

“Yeah that’s ok,” he said, “I think Eiji would like that too. He’s actually sort of asked me…a few times.” 

“He has?” 

“Not like that,” Oikawa clarified, “He just wanted to know why Bokuto scents him and you don’t.” 

Iwa nodded, “Right. Well, great,” the smile that spread across the alpha’s face was one Oikawa had only seen once or twice before. It made him smile in return. He called out to Eiji, motioning him over here, saying that Mr. Iwa was going to scent him in case he got lost at the beach. 

Eiji didn’t seem to have a single problem with it, just shot his neck up so that Iwa could nuzzle the glands a bit, doing his best to rub back so the scents would mix. 

“All done Mommy!” he said, practically jumping away from the alpha, “Can we go now?” 

“Hold on Eiji,” Oikawa gave half a laugh, “We have to make sure everyone else is ready first,” 

“We’re all set,” Hiroka chirped, beach bag in hand, “It’s only a short walk from here. And we can get some shaved ice on the way.” 

“Yes!” Eiji shot his hand up in the air, “Mommy can we? I want shaved ice!” 

“One thing at a time, Eiji—”

“Why don’t you walk with me, Eiji?” Hiroka asked, “I know the fasted way to the shaved ice!” 

That was all it took for Eiji to take the older alpha’s hand, the two of them leading the way for everyone else. Reo eventually caught up with his wife, taking her hand and falling into step next to her. 

Oikawa and Iwa were left to fall back, watching as Eiji talked Hiroka and Reo’s ears off. The omega found himself laughing, leaning into Iwa, finally starting to feel more relaxed.

“I hope he doesn’t bother them too much.” 

“Nah,” Iwa shook his head, taking Oikawa’s hand, “They love kids.” 

“That’s good,” Oikawa nodded, giving another exhale in relief, “They’re really nice, your parents.”

“Thanks,” Iwa smiled, “I think they like you too.” 

“Yeah?” the omega’s face lit up, “That’s good! I mean my parents like you too so you know—we’d be like 2 for 2 with that then.” 

Iwa chuckled, leaning in and nuzzling his nose against Oikawa’s cheek, “That we would. On a different note, though,” he smiled, "I like your swim trunks.” 

Oikawa brightened, holding his head up a little higher, “Teal looks great on me, right?”

“Mm. Makes your thighs pop,” the alpha let his hand drop, brushing the tips of his fingers over the bottom of Oikawa’s board shorts. 

_“Hajime!”_ Oikawa hissed, feeling goosebumps start to form but still trying to keep quiet himself, “Your parents are _right_ there!” 

Iwa lifted his hands in innocence, “I didn’t do anything,” he flashed a grin that was perhaps a bit too wicked by nature, and Oikawa found himself smirking in suspicion as a result. 

The walk to the beach was a short one, as Hiroka had said it would be, though it was extended slightly since they all stopped for shaved ice along the way. When they finally did make it to the beach, Oikawa helped Hiroka spread out the blankets, and it wasn’t really much of a surprise to anyone when rather than blankets, the three boys took off running towards the ocean instead. 

Oikawa yelled at them to be careful, but then returned his attention to Hiroka and the blankets. 

At least, he tried to. Eiji all alone in a giant ocean had his anxiety spiking to new levels. But he trusted Iwa. So he just did his best to let it go, and allow himself to enjoy this rare moment of down time. Plus it was kind fun talking to Iwa’s mom, when Oikawa didn’t let his insane panic driven theories start to take over. Though he was admittedly at ease with the alpha, perhaps because she was a pack leader. Maybe they just all had that calming aura about them. Plus, he was learning quite a bit about Iwa. 

According to Hiroka, Iwa had been similar to Eiji when he was younger, in the boisterous sense. But all alphas had a habit of being rather rowdy as children. She explained that despite that, as he got older, Iwa became more quiet, in the sense that he thought everything through before making a final decision. He could get frighteningly serious when he wanted to. 

“It’s why we were a bit worried, when he told us about you.” 

Oikawa swallowed, because the energy around them had definitely taken a sudden shift. Still, he’d prepared for this exact conversation. “Because I came with a plus one?” he asked. 

“Oh no,” Hiroka said it as if it was nothing, adjusting her position on the towel, “Well, yes in part. Children have their own circumstances. But more than that was the fact that you were bonded. I was honestly quite surprised.” 

Taking in a large inhale, Oikawa licked his lips, ready to justify himself.

“Because Hajime has never been good at that sort of thing,” Hiroka sighed, continuing on, “He always follows his instincts, just like his father. I didn’t want him to impose on you too much. Pack leaders are rather aggressive when they want something.”

“Oh,” Oikawa’s mouth formed into a perfect circular shape, sitting and looking a little dumb, because he hadn’t expected that at all. He would’ve thought that the concern would have been for her son, rather than for some omega she didn’t know. 

“Actually,” Oikawa said, “It was a little overwhelming at first, but—well Iwa’s very patient—”

“He’s mellowed out over the years,” his mother hummed, “Certainly matured quite a bit. But I certainly don’t approve of how he approached you, and I must apologize in his place. He’s just…so much like his father. I’m a pack leader as well of course, so I could bite back. But for an omega mother…I can’t possibly imagine that. Showing up at your door of all things, completely unannounced.” 

Smiling, Oikawa nodded his head, “Definitely a huge shock at first,” Oikawa said, “But he’s helped me realize a lot of things. And I may be an omega but I can definitely hold my own as well. My mother was an alpha so—well it leaves a bit of an impression,” he chuckled. 

Hiroka laughed a bit too, showing off a warm smile. 

“May I ask something of you?” she said, turning with a soft expression. 

“Of course,” Oikawa said easily. 

“My son loves you,” she said bluntly, “He’s a little headstrong, and stubborn as an ox, but please take care of him.” 

Oikawa felt his mouth go dry, his body functioning on autopilot alone as he nodded, assuring Hiroka that he would. 

She seemed content enough at that, changing the topic easily, going on about shaved ice or something else that Oikawa wasn’t fully invested in, if only because now that the topic of conversation was lighter, his main focus had shifted towards Iwa and Eiji, both alphas splashing around in the waves. There was a brief moment where Eiji was tugged underneath the waves, and Oikawa swore he heard him screeching, his own body getting ready to bolt down there, but then he realized Eiji was just squealing, Iwa tossing the young alpha over his head and letting him fall back into the water. 

Oikawa relaxed against the beach towel again, letting out a relieved sigh and a small smile. 

“It’s hard to let go sometimes,” Hiroka said, in a way only a mother really could. 

Oikawa let out a shaky exhale, “I know I have to start giving him more leeway—being a boy and an alpha and all, but—”

“But you’re his mom,” Hiroka piped in, “So even if you do, that worry will never go away.” 

“Spoken like a true mother,” Oikawa scoffed, “Sometimes I think a girl would have been easier.” 

Hiroka made a face, shaking her head, “Each comes with their own sets of challenges. I think with boys the biggest one is making sure they don’t do anything _too_ stupid.” 

Oikawa couldn’t help but snort at that, agreeing to the fullest.

* * *

 

The next two days were spent frolicking at the beach and eating Hiroka’s home cooking. Oikawa realized he definitely had a long way to go, in terms of preparing a meal. But it gave him new resolve to try and improve, because he wanted to make damn sure that whatever omega Eiji decided to bring home one day, Oikawa could blow them away with his cooking skills. Because there was just something about eating your mom’s food that could never be outdone by a mate.

By the end of the third day, Eiji had learned both to float and to swim (he would be racing in the Olympics, according to both him and Reo) and he’d also eaten an absurd amount of shaved ice, but it was summer, so that sort of thing was to be expected. 

Though it’d only been a short amount of time, Oikawa felt like he’d really gotten to know Iwa’s parents. It was strange, but he should’ve expected that being with the alpha’s parents was as easy as it was being with just Iwa. 

They’d been so welcoming. Both to him and to Eiji. The dynamics were interesting to see as well, since previously, Iwa had been the only pack leader Oikawa had ever met. But to see three of them interacting all at once was pretty entertaining. The smallest of things became a battle of dominance, though they all tried to keep it as best concealed as they could. Sometimes Reo yielded to his wife, but Oikawa felt like that was more out of a sense of chivalry than anything else, because it was clear on the alpha’s face that he much would have preferred to have used the salt shaker first. It was quite amusing, and when they were all together, Oikawa had to remember to not laugh out loud. Regardless the sense of equality between the pair was unlike anything Oikawa had ever seen. Though they did seem to butt heads over dominance, there was an overwhelming feeling of comfort and love that Oikawa recognized from watching his own parents. 

And it was nice.

It didn’t take very long for Oikawa’s previous anxiety to wash away. Best of all, Eiji seemed to have adjusted nicely as well, speaking to both of Iwa’s parents with the ease he did other adults, apparently having formed quite the bond with Hiroka, both through their mutual hatred of nattou, and their natural love of soccer. 

That’s why Oikawa didn’t worry so much, when Iwa suggested a stroll through the beach on that last afternoon, just the two of them. The omega knew his son was in good hands. 

And really, after three days of being so close to Iwa, without really being able to _be_ with Iwa, Oikawa was starting to crave some alone time too. 

So they walked along the beach with the sun low in the sky, Oikawa feeling like an omega right out of one of those cheesy shoujou mangas teenagers loved to read. But it was nice, his palm in Iwa’s, the wind nothing but a soft breeze, their feet kicking up sand. They stood in the waves for a bit, until the tide started to rise, Iwa trying to pull Oikawa in and Oikawa screaming and doing his best to run away. 

They shared some more shaved ice, and Oikawa didn’t even complain about the sweetness, because it was refreshing, mostly, and though it was somewhat lame to say, sharing it with Iwa made him forget he didn’t like sweets so much. Especially when he watched the alpha practically devour his half, tongue bright and blue to serve as proof. 

“We went on a school trip once,” Oikawa said, licking his spoon, “And everyone got shaved ice right? Classic colors, blue, red, you know. But then there was this one couple that disappeared, and when they came back onto the bus the boy kept showing off his tongue, since it’d turned purple. So of course everyone made a big deal out of that.” 

Iwa glanced at the nearly empty cup of shaved ice, before shrugging at Oikawa, “We can go buy a red, if you want.” 

Oikawa snorted, shaking his head, “That’s not why I told you that!” 

“Can I still kiss you? Even if we don’t make any cool colors.” 

Giggling, Oikawa set his spoon back in the bowl, crossing his arms over the table and leaning in a bit, “You may.” 

It was a quick peck to his lips, which the omega was admittedly a little disappointed about, but he didn’t think much of it, moving on to finish his shaved ice. 

“So what was it you wanted to show me?” he asked, not looking at Iwa, focusing more on his last few spoonfuls instead.

“It’s a little bit of a walk in that direction,” Iwa motioned with his hand, “I hope that’s ok.” 

Oikawa shrugged, “That’s fine with me. Should we get going—”

“Ah, no no,” Iwa stuttered a bit, which Oikawa found sort of strange, but the alpha quickly smoothed himself out, “Finish your ice first,” Iwa smiled, “No rush.” 

It wasn’t _too_ far of a walk, though it did take a little bit of climbing, the pair having to dodge a couple of rocks as they got further into the cliffs that surrounded the beach. Iwa slipped a few times, which made Oikawa laugh though he knew he shouldn’t have, helping the alpha back up on his feet. 

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Oikawa smirked, tugging at Iwa’s hand. 

“Yeah,” Iwa shook his head, running a hand through his hair, “I’ve never slipped on these rocks before.” 

“Guess you’re getting old,” Oikawa teased, 

“Yeah,” he said quickly, “Must be,” He pointed to an opening that was too big to be called just a ledge, but too small to be called a cave. “Through here,” Iwa offered his hand, and Oikawa took it, using it to keep his balance as he climbed into the small opening. He sat down next to Iwa, smiling softly. 

“Secret hideout?” the omega asked. 

“Something like that,” Iwa nodded, shoving his hand in his pocket, “I haven’t been here in a long time.” 

Oikawa’s smile grew, “Did you bring all your omegas up here?” 

Iwa shook his head, “Nah. You’re the second person I’ve ever brought here.” 

Resting his head against Iwa’s shoulder, Oikawa watched the waves down below. “Who was the first?” he asked. 

“Love of my life,” Iwa said immediately, “Until she wasn’t. Fourteen was a rough year.” 

“Ouch,” Oikawa made a face, “First heartbreak?” 

Iwa scoffed, “First everything. I was too much of a brat back then.” 

Oikawa laughed into Iwa’s neck, “A fourteen year old alpha. I dread the day that happens to Eiji.” 

“Rough times for sure,” Iwa chuckled, and then brought his hand out to hold Oikawa’s, “The day she broke up with me…she said I was too selfish. That I never tried to see things from other people’s point of view.” 

Oikawa listened, starting to rub this thumb against the back of Iwa’s palm, “Is that why you’re so understanding now?” 

Iwa kissed Oikawa’s head, “I wish it was that easy. Back then I just told her to fuck off.” 

“Hajime!” Oikawa cackled, though he knew he probably shouldn’t have, shaking his head and bringing his hand up to cover his mouth, “Oh my god I can’t picture you doing that—”

“I told you,” Iwa joined in on the laughter, “I was a brat.” 

Laughter subsided into giggles, Oikawa tilting his head up to kiss Iwa on the lips, “Thank you for bringing me here,” he smiled, batting his lashes and then looking out at the ocean again, “It’s really beautiful.”

“You know, Tooru,” Iwa said, reaching into his pocket again.

“Hm?” 

“Um,” he cleared his throat, “You’re the first person I’ve ever watched the sunset with. As cheesy as that sounds.” 

Again Oikawa smiled, leaning in to kiss him once more. “You know I’ve never really liked sunsets,” Oikawa said. 

“What?” 

The omega shrugged, “It’s just. Such a weird time. Not day but not night. You know, I took a literature course in college. They called that liminal space. Not definitive. I don’t know. Something about that’s always bothered me.” 

Iwa seemed to stiffen beside him, and Oikawa glanced over curiously, throwing him a questioning sort of look. The alpha just scoffed, shaking his head and taking his hand out of his pocket again, rubbing his palm against his shorts, “Of course you wouldn’t like sunsets.” 

“Ah, no, not like that!” Oikawa blushed, dropping his head on Iwa’s shoulder again to hide his face, “It’s still really beautiful.” 

Slowly, with a soft smile, Iwa wrapped his arm around Oikawa’s shoulder, the other one slipping into the pocket of his pants yet again, though Oikawa didn’t notice, “You do prefer straightforward things.” 

“Mm,” Oikawa nodded, letting his eyes flutter. 

“Definitive things,” Iwa continued. 

His eyes opened again, “Right.” 

“Kinda like my love for you?” Iwa tried, and again the omega burst out laughing, smacking the alpha on the chest. 

“Stop,” Oikawa shook his head, though he was smiling, “That’s too much even for you—”

“What if I said it’s true though?” 

Oikawa hummed, cocking his head to the side and shrugging his shoulders, “Then I guess I’d say I love you too—”

“And what if,” Iwa cleared his throat, taking both of Oikawa’s hands into his, “What if I said that being with you for this past year has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me?” 

Feeling himself blush, Oikawa squeezed Iwa’s hands, “Hajime…?” 

The alpha squeezed his hands in return, “I’ve loved every moment we’ve spent together. The good and the not so good. And I’ve loved getting to know more about you and Eiji, and spending time together. I love how much fun we have, and that you’re not afraid to call me out—”

“Hajime—”

“I know,” Iwa nodded, squeezing Oikawa’s hands again, the alpha’s own starting to sweat, “I know you might think it’s too soon. But I love you. I love you Oikawa Tooru. And,” he dropped hold of Oikawa’s hands, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a little black box, popping open the top, “I…well…” he licked his lips, locking eyes with the omega, “I love you. I think I said that already. But,” he licked his lips, “It’s true, so…” 

Oikawa felt the world shut off, the sun finally dipping into the ocean as his ears became acutely aware of the waves roaring below them, of the insects buzzing and the cars rushing past on the highway behind them, but all of that fell silent in a single moment, because when Iwa…when Iwa…

_“Will you marry me?”_

He couldn’t say anything, wasn’t capable of it, just stared at the ring that shook in Iwa’s trembling hand, feeling all of his breath catch in his chest, and for a moment Oikawa thought he really might just faint. 

“Hajime…” his mouth hung open, stayed like that, Oikawa inhaling and begging the breath to actually hold, “I—”

Iwa’s shoulder’s dropped, his hopeful smile dwindling, but before he could say anything, Oikawa grabbed at his wrists, forcing him into place. 

“I’m selfish!” he declared, much louder than he needed to, “I’m selfish. And I have a kid. And I’ve been bonded before. And I’m amazing at excuses because I’m scared of everything. But—but you didn’t care about any of that. And I honest to god thought you were crazy when we first met. I think you’re crazy now. But this past year—Hajime you—are you really ok, if it’s someone like me?” 

“Idiot,” Iwa’s smile returned, the tension in his muscles loosening, “Doesn’t that already go without saying?” 

He threw his arms around Iwa without another word, hugging him close and burying his face in the alpha’s neck, “Then yes!” he squeezed, “I’ll marry you!” 

Iwa laughed in relief, hugging him tight and squeezing him back, “You scared the shit out of me, Tooru—I thought you were gonna say no—”

“I just—I had to make sure—”

His lips were captured, but only for a brief moment, Iwa pulling away and taking Oikawa’s hand in his own, sliding the ring on. 

“You’re mine now,” he said, though he growled a little, tugging on Oikawa’s hand and pulling him in again, kissing him hard on the lips. 

Shivers raced down Oikawa’s spine, goosebumps lining his arms, because Iwa’s scent was claiming him without even touching his scent glands. And though it hadn’t stopped being overwhelming, it was exactly what Oikawa needed. 

“You know,” he purred, his mind registering the moment but not really, everything still a happy haze, “I really like when you say I’m yours like that.” 

“Yeah?” Iwa grabbed Oikawa’s waist, managing to settle the omega on his lap despite the tight space. 

Oikawa bit his lip, shaking his head when he felt Iwa’s heat through his pants, “Hajime—no—”

“Why not—”

“I am not about to have sex with my—“ he swallowed, “My _fiancé_ in his childhood hideout!” 

“That was kind of the original goal of this place. I found it in middle school so. Hormones. But it wouldn’t really be sex so you don’t have to worry about that—”

“Hajime!” he laughed, kissing him, “If it’s not sex then what exactly are your intentions—”

The alpha dragged his tongue over the omega’s scent glands, making Oikawa shiver in his lap, his pants starting to look like Iwa’s. 

Iwa nibbled all along Oikawa’s neck, whispering into his ear, “I want to make love to you.” 

For the first time in his life Oikawa didn’t consider the consequences. Not the fact that the space was too small, or that their feet were still covered in sand, or that he had Eiji waiting for him back at the house, or the fact that he’d just gotten engaged—because he had just gotten _engaged_ —no. None of that seemed to come to mind. 

Instead, the only thing that really came into focus was how foreign his own hands felt, the cold metal of the ring seeming to underscore everything that he touched, Iwa’s own palms slipping underneath Oikawa’s shirt, sliding up his back, making the omega’s breath hitch in the best way possible. 

Nothing else registered in that moment. Nothing but him and Hajime. 

So he gave into it, wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck, kissed him on the lips and then pulled away as breathless as he’d ever been in his whole life. 

“Then,” he breathed, bumping his nose against Hajime’s, letting himself fall into complete submission as he closed his eyes, “Let’s make love.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might like this more than the Disney chapter. Like it's definitely up there. This chapter just makes me super happy lol. Wow. This story is finally coming to an end. 44 chapters total. We're nearing the finals here I can't freaking believe it. 
> 
> For those of you who happen to care, I graduate tomorrow!! I may be putting pics up on my tumblr ^^ Also, I finally posted headcanons to my original story which I'll be starting in June! [Check them out here if you wanna see!](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/173645095163/chains-of-silk) It's gonna be original omegaverse full of rich alphas and oppressed omegas so if that floats your boat then I hope you'll give it a read :D
> 
> Thanks to everyone who takes the time to comment!


	42. Chapter 42

“And so since they’re gonna get married then I get to call Mr. Iwa _Daddy_!” 

“So that’s how it works,” Bokuto nodded seriously, scrunching up his features as though he were deep in thought, bouncing Eiji on his leg, “Why not just call him _Dad_ though?” 

“Because!” Eiji adjusted his position, as if he’d already given it thorough contemplation, “I call Mommy _Mommy_ so I should call Mr. Iwa _Daddy_ too or it would sound weird!” 

“That does make sense,” Bokuto agreed, bringing his hand up to his chin, “And you’re ok with all of this?” 

Eiji nodded, lips breaking out in a large smile, “Mommy said I get to go to the wedding!” 

“You know I think it’s kind of required for you to be there, Eiji—”

“And Uncle Bokuto gets to come too!” 

The alpha snorted, nodding his head, “Well I’m honored to be invited.” 

“ALSO!” Eiji’s eyes shot open as he pulled his uncle closer, taking Bokuto’s ear hostage, whisper-shouting right into it, “Mommy keeps smiling while he washes the dishes!” 

Bokuto glanced over at Oikawa, who was indeed smiling down at one the pan he was washing, about two seconds short from giggling to himself. “He does, doesn’t he?” Bokuto grinned, continuing to gossip with Eiji. It was only when the two burst out laughing that Oikawa seemed to notice, shutting off the water and making a face at them. 

“Let me guess,” he said, “Top secret?” 

“Super top secret,” Bokuto replied, waving his hand, “Nothing we can tell you. Continue with your dishes.” 

Oikawa smirked, patting his hands dry, “You come into my house, you eat my food and yet—”

“Tooru,” Bokuto held a single hand up, his voice deep and commanding like a police officer, “No quarreling in front of the child.” 

Eiji snickered, covering his hands with his mouth, trying his best to keep quiet. Oikawa let it slide with a roll of his eyes though, deciding to join them on the couch. He propped his head up on his fist, motioning to Eiji, “Why don’t you tell your Uncle the best part?” 

“Oh yeah!” Eiji nodded furiously, getting all excited again, “Mommy says once they come back from the honeynoon then we get to go to _Disneyland!_ ” 

“Honey _moon,_ Eiji—”

“Whoa!” Bokuto flailed about as much as Eiji did, “You get to go to Disney _again?_ ”

“Yeah!!” Eiji nodded, “This time we’re going to the other park! Uncle Bokuto! Did you know there’s two parks??” 

“I didn’t,” Bokuto lied, eyes wide with surprise, “Were they keeping that top secret or something?” 

“Yeah!” Eiji said, going along with anything, “Mommy says we get to go to a hotel too!!” 

Bokuto smirked, glancing over at Tooru, “How much is that costing you?” 

“It’s actually a wedding gift,” Oikawa said, “From both Iwa’s parents and mine. My mom managed to convince everyone we needed a family honeymoon.” 

Bokuto outright, laughed, giving an incredulous shake of his head, “As great as that is—your mom’s kinda scary when she decides on something.”

“Yeah,” Oikawa scoffed, “Tell me about it. You know how she is. Once she gets an idea in her head—”

“Yeah, I’ve seen the effects multiple times,” Bokuto chuckled, still bouncing Eiji on his leg, “But I mean at least you’re saving some money by staying here. You sure you guys are gonna have enough room, though?” 

“We’ll manage for now,” Oikawa said. 

“Not planning on outgrowing this place any time soon?” 

“I’m growing fast, Uncle Bokuto!” Eiji shouted, forcing the attention back to him.

“You sure are, Little Man,” Bokuto said, ruffling up Eiji’s hair, “But I meant when another pup starts growing in your Mommy’s tummy!” 

Eiji’s smile fell flat, his head shooting to the left to look at his mom. He jumped across the couch, pressing his hands _hard_ against Oikawa’s stomach, “Is Mommy growing another pup??” 

“Ow—Eiji—!” Oikawa pried his son’s hands away, propping him up on his lap, “No, sweetheart. No new pups yet.” 

“I don’t want Mommy to make new pups.” 

Oikawa looked from Bokuto to his son, worry filling his eyes, “Eiji, sweetheart,” he held his son gently, looking at him properly, “You know that if Mr. Iwa and I have a pup then—”

“They’ll try and take all my stuff! Just like in Kiko’s Kanji!” 

Bokuto bit back a snort, but Oikawa just sighed in relief. He thought Eiji’s opposition was a lot deeper than that. Thank god it was just about toys. “That does happen sometimes,” Oikawa explained, “But you’ll love them no matter what because they’ll be family.” Eiji listened to all that with a bit of a pout, clearly not fully believing his mom though he seemed to accept it regardless. When Oikawa was done explaining, Eiji rolled back over onto his Uncle’s lap, letting out a few groans, “When’s Mr. Iwa coming back?” 

“It’s almost time for him to get here. Do you wanna watch some TV in the meantime?” 

“Ok!”

Oikawa got up, setting up the television to something Eiji could watch. 

“Mommy!” Eiji said, swinging his legs against the couch. 

“Yes, Eiji?” Oikawa answered, not bothering to look back. 

“Do you think Mr. Iwa will be super surprised?” 

“Mm,” Oikawa smiled, turning back to put the remote on the ottoman, “I think he’ll be super _duper_ surprised.” 

Eiji gave a mischievous smile, his swinging legs turning into excited kicks. 

Bokuto shot a questioning look over at Oikawa, but Oikawa just shook his head, giving a soft smile, “You’ll see.” 

They were precisely twenty-one minutes into Eiji’s show, when they all heard the front door unlock, Iwa announcing that he was home. Eiji took off before anyone else had the chance, feet pounding down the small flat towards the front hall, out of breath from excitement alone as he nearly tackled the alpha in greeting. 

“Welcome home, _Dad!_ ” 

Oikawa and Bokuto were just behind him, Oikawa biting his lip and also a little out of breath from excitement alone, wanting nothing more than to see Iwa’s face in that moment. 

Because the only way to describe the alpha’s face was to simply say that it was _indescribable,_ his expression every mix of every emotion all rolled into one, the small part of his lips marking his disbelief, the clear stiffness of his body underscoring his shock. 

“I…” Iwa swallowed, pulling Eiji into a hug, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m home.” 

“You already said that!” Eiji declared, grinning nice and wide, “Mommy said you might cry but I said you wouldn’t so I win!” He pumped up his fist in victory, and then scurried off, because his show still had five whole minutes left, apparently. 

Iwa still stood frozen, and it wasn’t until Bokuto slapped his hands together that everyone seemed to snap out of it, returning back to reality.

“Well,” Bokuto said, “As disgustingly heartwarming as that was, and as much as I wanna see the aftereffects, I gotta get going.” 

“Oh,” Iwa shook his head, still trying to get over the shock, “You’re not joining us?” 

“Nah,” Bokuto shook his head, “I’m gonna help Akaashi close up and then we’re gonna make dinner.” 

“Thanks for baby-sitting today,” Oikawa said, upon which Bokuto replied that it was no problem. After walking Bokuto out and shutting the door, Oikawa walked back up to Iwa, kissing the alpha on the cheek and welcoming him home. 

“Did you tell him to call me that?” Iwa said, voice sounding somewhat far off. 

Oikawa smiled, brushing his fingers over the back of Iwa’s palm, “He decided it all on his own.”

“That was—wow. I mean that’s a weird feeling. Not bad weird. Good weird. But—“

“Mommy!!” Eiji shouted from the couch, “Can we eat dinner now??” 

“Go wash your hands!” Oikawa called back, before stealing another kiss from Iwa, “We made hamburger steak. Just have to heat it up.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Iwa said, shrugging off his jacket, and hanging it in the hall. 

The evening fell into the sort of easy habit that had become routine for the three of them. Once dinner was finished, Iwa helped Eiji with his bath while Oikawa washed the dishes and cleaned up. Oikawa would then join them, usually around the time Iwa was drying Eiji’s hair, the two of them exchanging in a summary of their days. 

There was nothing Oikawa really loved more. Seeing Iwa drying Eiji’s hair like that, listening to Eiji talk to him without any hesitation, the two of them sharing in their own personal moment. He always tried his best to not interrupt but, he couldn’t help spying in on it every now and again. It was just too sweet to ignore. 

Afterwards they’d tuck Eiji in, and Iwa and Oikawa would spend their own time catching up on the day’s events, before Eiji got up again for his milk. Iwa would take his own bath while he waited, and eventually Oikawa would join him upstairs, generally flopping on the bed with mostly-dried hair.

“You should dry you hair properly, you know,” Iwa said, the way he always did, flipping through his phone while Oikawa adjusted himself on the bed. 

“I’ll be fine,” Oikawa yawned, nuzzling in closer and wrapping his legs around Iwa’s, “I rarely get sick.”

“What’re we gonna do if you do though?” Iwa’s arms found their way around Oikawa’s shoulders, “We’ve got a lot of planning to do, you know.” 

“Don’t remind me,” Oikawa closed his eyes, leaning against the alpha, “Machiko called me about flowers, today.” 

“How’d that go?” 

Oikawa shrugged, tracing patterns over the front of Iwa’s shirt, “I know absolutely nothing about flowers.” 

Iwa chuckled, running his hand up and down Oikawa’s back, “It’ll be fine. I’m sure once everything is set up it’ll look nice.” 

“I hope it wasn’t too much getting your parents to fly up here.” 

“They’re fine. My mom was yelling at me about the food the other day though.” 

“Oh god we still have to finalize that.” 

Iwa nuzzled him, bumping his nose against his cheek, “We have time.” 

“Four months isn’t that much—”

“Tooru,” he smiled, “It’ll be fine.”

Oikawa returned the gesture, brushing his nose against Iwa’s, “Today was sort of exciting, wasn’t it?” he was whispering, though he wasn’t sure why. 

“You could say that again,” 

“Eiji did this whole speech today about how he was going to call you _Daddy_ because he calls me _Mommy_ and we had to be a matching pair. But then he goes off and just calls you _Dad_ instead.” 

“I’m still in shock, honestly. It’s such a _good_ feeling. Like I know that’s a shitty way to describe it but it’s just _good_ you know like I mean how can one word make you feel so much? Is that what they call the joys of parenthood?” 

Oikawa pouted, climbing onto Iwa’s chest, resting his chin over his hands, “Better than when I first called you Hajime?” 

“No,” Iwa said, patting Oikawa’s head, “Those are two completely separate things.” 

The omega gave into the alpha’s touch, giving a happy hum. 

“Fine,” Oikawa said, “I’ll accept it just this once.” 

Iwa smiled at that, sitting up a bit to properly kiss Oikawa on the lips. 

“You sure you’re ok with moving in here?” Oikawa asked, “I know we have enough space, but even still…”

“It’s not like it’s inconvenient or anything,” Iwa said, “Besides, this way, most of Eiji’s environment gets to stay the same.” 

“That’s true,” Oikawa nodded, tucking some hair behind his ear, “I do appreciate that.” 

Iwa stopped Oikawa’s hand halfway, bringing it up to his lips so that he could kiss Oikawa’s ring finger, “I love the way this looks on you.” 

Blushing, Oikawa pulled his hand away, avoiding the alpha’s gaze, “Don’t do that…it’s embarrasing when you say it like that.”

“Well what’s wrong with it?” Iwa smiled, reaching over to brush his hands over Oikawa’s scent glands, “I can’t wait until these are mine too.” 

The omega shivered slightly, leaning into the alpha again so that they could kiss once more. 

And it would have been perfect, if Oikawa’s phone hadn’t begun to ring. 

Oikawa groaned.

Iwa chuckled, “Shouldn’t you pick that up?” 

“Mmph,” Oikawa shook his head, nuzzling against the alpha’s chest, “Can’t we just pretend we don’t hear it?” 

“That’s your work phone though right?” Iwa lifted up his chin, giving him a quick kiss, “It can’t be helped.” 

Oikawa groaned again, reluctantly pulling away from Iwa and rolling over to reach for his cell phone. He gave a quick yawn, shaking himself awake before answering. If this was about the most recent marketing proposal he was going to kill someone. 

“Oikawa Tooru speaking.” 

Iwa didn’t like the way the omega stiffened two moments into answering the call. Didn’t like how goosebumps went down his arms, how everything about him seemed to stand at attention, unable to even take a breath. 

Especially when he watched Oikawa’s eyes widen, licking his lips the way he did when he was at a loss for what to do. And Iwa knew something was probably wrong. 

Oikawa inhaled, his features crinkling as he glanced at Iwa, before turning his attention back to the phone, “Kaito?”

* * *

 

“You sure you wanna do this?” Iwa asked, changing lanes so that he could make a right turn. 

“Yeah,” Oikawa nodded, “I think this’ll be for the best.” 

“I’ll be right outside,” Iwa said, pulling up in front of the cafe, “If anything.” 

“I know,” Oikawa leaned over, cupping the alpha’s face and kissing him on the cheek, “I won’t be long,” He turned to open the door, but Iwa pulled him back in, scenting him thoroughly. “You already did that before we left the house,” Oikawa hummed, doing his best to bite back a purr from the way Iwa’s scent was calming him. 

“Just wanted to,” Iwa returned, finally letting him go, and giving him a solid nod, “Remember, right outside.” 

“Hajime,” Oikawa gave the alpha a quick squeeze to his hand, before opening the car door, “I’ll be fine. Promise.” 

When Oikawa stepped into the cafe, it didn’t take him very long to find him. He was easy to spot, just like always. 

But things were a little different, now. His glands didn’t swell at the sight of him, the hairs on the back of his neck didn’t stand on end, and he didn’t feel his breath catch in his throat. The scent, he noticed, was familiar as ever, but in a way that was strictly nostalgic, incapable of swaying him in one direction or another. Oikawa got closer, taking a seat down on the opposite side of the small table, smiling like he was greeting an old friend. 

“Long time no see.”

Kaito looked up from the menu, showing off a large smile, “That’s one way to put it.” 

“Not gonna lie,” Oikawa said, “I wasn’t expecting that at all. But I appreciate you calling me beforehand. It hurt like a bitch when our bond broke.” 

“How do you think I felt,” Kaito chuckled, “It’s hard to be romantic when your neck’s throbbing in pain.”

Oikawa laughed, putting his hand over his mouth, “Well thank you for taking that bullet,” he motioned with his hands, “So I guess congratulations are in order,” he smiled, and Kaito returned the same nostalgic expression back at him. 

“I could say the same to you, you know,” Kaito pointed at Oikawa’s ring, “When’s the big day?” 

“A couple of months,” Oikawa replied, his hands subconsciously going to the ring on his finger. 

“It’s crazy,” Kaito said, motioning between them, “Both of us, I mean.” 

The waitress came up to them then, asking if she could get them started on something to drink. 

“Cafe au Lait for me,” Oikawa said, before glancing over at Kaito. 

“I’ll take an orange juice for now,” he smiled wide, with all his teeth, the waitress nodding in understanding and then moving on to the next table. 

“You realize you’re a grown man ordering orange juice at two in the afternoon, right?”

“Leave me alone,” Kaito chuckled, “I like my orange juice.” 

Oikawa gave a bit of a laugh too, shaking his head, “Some things don’t change I guess,” he paused a bit, chewing the inside of his cheeks, “Eiji…” he said, “Eiji loves orange juice too. I didn’t think taste buds could be genetic.” 

“Nah,” Kaito said, “Your kid just knows what’s up.”

Oikawa didn’t miss it. The distinction of the word _your._ He appreciated it. 

“So,” he said, motioning at his own neck while staring at Kaito’s, eyeing the fresh, foreign mark that rested there, “Who’s the lucky guy?” 

Kaito gave a slight blush, his hand going up to cover his scent glands, “It’s…a woman, actually.” Oikawa’s eyes widened, but Kaito continued before he could say anything, “An alpha, too.” 

It took a moment, Oikawa a bit too shocked to really say anything, but he shook his head, giving an incredulous scoff, “What happened to _women are too troublesome_?” 

“Oh trust me,” Kaito waved his hands, the waitress setting their drinks down, “She’s the most troublesome woman I’ve ever met but,” he blushed again, taking a sip of his orange juice, “Somehow I don’t mind it at all.” 

“Sounds like you’ve got it bad,” Oikawa smiled, taking a couple of sips of his own coffee. 

“Well what about you?” Kaito asked, “I only saw him for like three seconds but that alpha looks like he’d kill for you.”

“Ah,” Oikawa’s smile widened, his fingers fiddling with the ring, “He’s…yeah. Surprisingly territorial, actually…” he found himself giggling, upon which Kaito gave a sideways smirk. “I thought you didn’t like alphas like that.” 

Oikawa shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee, “I guess both of our preferences changed.” 

“Gross,” Kaito said, “It’s like we got old or something.” 

Oikawa snorted, shaking his head, “Please don’t say that. Not when we’re pushing thirty.” 

“Ok, ok, forget that. We’re totally young. And you’re getting married! That’s so fucking crazy! It’s in a few months you said?” 

“Mhm,” Oikawa nodded, “Honestly I’m going a bit crazy with all the planning—you know how Machiko gets—“

“What are you stressing out for? She’s probably doing all the planning for you.”

“That’s precisely what’s stressing me out!” 

Kaito laughed, stopping the waitress to order a slice of strawberry shortcake. Then he turned to Oikawa again, resting his chin in his hands, “So you gonna wear a dress or what?” 

Oikawa deadpanned, “Do you honestly see me in a dress?” 

Kaito held his hands up in innocence, “Just a thought,” he chuckled, “Suits it is, then?” 

“Mhm,” the omega nodded, “We just had our fittings the other day. Kou’s gonna be my best man.” 

“Naturally. How’s that guy doing? I saw he got a mate now.” 

“He eloped! I mean that’s such a Kou thing to do but like—I mean honestly—”

Kaito was laughing, halfway through with his orange juice, “Somehow that just fits him perfectly, you know? He was always a _throws caution to the wind_ type of guy.” 

With a shake of his head, Oikawa crossed his arms over the table, “I mean it works for him so. What can you do.” 

The waitress came back with Kaito’s cake, setting it down in front of him and asking Oikawa if he wanted anything. Oikawa said that he was fine, not taking any cake when Kaito offered some to him.

“So tell me about your mate,” Oikawa said, “She must be pretty special if you’re moving to America with her.” 

“Yeah!” There was a noticeable lift to Kaito’s voice, lips curling at the edges, “She’s an architect and she was selected to oversee a project for a new museum in San Francisco. And I mean I can find a job once I get over there since my English is still pretty good—”

“You always were good at English—”

“Useful for traveling,”

“True,” Oikawa agreed, “But that’s amazing, San Francisco! Send her my congratulations.” 

“Will do.” 

“Overseeing a big project like that sounds fun. It’s been a while since I’ve done something like that.” 

Kaito nodded, “You still on the marketing side of things?” 

“I switched to freelance for a while after having Eiji, but I’m at a company now. The hours were flexible so I took it.” 

“That’s amazing.” 

“Not really,” Oikawa shrugged, “It’s like any other marketing job.” 

“No, seriously, Tooru. You’re amazing. Doing all of that all on your own,” Kaito cleared his throat, voice becoming somewhat strained, “I’m sorry I never…I mean it’s true I called you because I was bonding but mostly I just wanted to apologize for never—I just mean, back then—”

“You let me have Eiji,” Oikawa said, “That was the best thing you could have done I think,” he swallowed, because he knew they were going to circle around this eventually, and even though he’d braced himself for it, he wasn’t at all prepared. 

“Still,” Kaito said stiffly, “I wanted to formally apologize.” 

Oikawa smiled, taking a final sip of his coffee, “I don’t resent you for it anymore,” he said, “So apology accepted, though it’s no longer warranted.” 

“I was a bit late with that, huh?” 

Squinting, Oikawa motioned with his fingers, creating a small space between this thumb and index finger, “Little bit.” 

They chatted a while longer, until Kaito had finished with his cake. Once they paid the bill they said their goodbyes, each one wishing the other the best of luck in the future. Parting with a handshake felt sort of strange, but a hug would have felt even stranger, Oikawa thought, so he just let it be, Kaito waving as he went off into the crowd, Oikawa returning the gesture as he turned to start walking towards his car. 

It couldn’t have been more than an hour or so. But it had definitely felt a lot longer than that. 

When he got back into the car, Iwa scented him again, though it was gentle as ever, Oikawa realizing he’d gotten quite used to Iwa’s greetings. 

“Did you get what you needed?” Iwa asked, starting the car up. 

Oikawa leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes and letting himself relax in Iwa’s scent, “Yeah,” he said, “I think I finally did.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm like beyond emotional rn lol. First, because I love Kaito so damn much. Second, because I just uploaded the very last chapter of this fic for supporters. I'll be doing a few bonus drabbles for them, but, as far as this fic goes, it's officially over. And now I just don't know what to do with myself lmfao. Luckily when I post the last chapter for AO3 I'll be more composed for you guys and be able to say something more profound than just incoherent ugly sobbing XD 
> 
> Almost an entire year ago and 20 kudos away from 3k. The biggest project I've ever done by far and I never could've done it without all you guys. So thank you so much for reading, for letting me know your thoughts, and for encouraging me along the way. This story is really what gave me the confidence to finally take the plunge into original work ^^ 
> 
> In terms of this chapter, I hope you enjoyed! I love me some closure. Only two more to go. I can't believe it. 
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated.


	43. Chapter 43

“The cranes are all set!” Machiko practically _shouted_ as she burst into the hotel room, scurrying over to where Tooru was getting his hair brushed, “And I brought your something blue!” 

“Would you stop it with the something blue!” Oikawa huffed, “We’re not American!” 

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” she waved him away, “I made it subtle for you!” She held out her hands, showing him the crane with its wings outstretched, a big, blue jewel serving as its eye. 

Everyone leaned in, Eiji on his tiptoes to try and see, Bokuto stealing a glance over Machiko’s shoulder. Fumi giving a small nod of approval, and even the hair stylist remarked on how elegant it looked. 

“Is that supposed to be a brooch or something?” Oikawa asked.

“It’s a hair ornament!” 

The omega deadpanned, “No.” 

“Tooru—“

“Not a chance! If it were a pin or a brooch then maybe—”

“But the blue is good luck! And it’s a crane at that! I made it match the theme!” 

“You just came in here screaming about how the paper cranes were already all set. How many more crane-things do we need?” 

“How come!” Eiji jumped, trying to get a look at the hair piece again, “How come it’s a crane!” 

“They’re good luck, Eiji,” Oikawa explained quickly, trying to focus again on his sister. So Bokuto pulled him away for a moment, bending down to meet Eiji’s eye level, “Cranes mate for life, Eiji. That means they’re together forever.” 

The young alpha’s eyes widened, a small gasp starting at his throat, “Does that mean Mommy and Mr. Iwa are gonna be together forever?” 

Bokuto smiled, crossing his arms and giving a nod of his head, “That’s the plan!” 

“Mommy!” Eiji ran up beside his mother, tugging at Oikawa’s arm, “You have to wear the crane!! It’s for good luck!!” 

“Ok, Eiji,” Oikawa nodded, trying to settle his son down, but he had a million other things going through his head at the moment that weren’t Eiji. “Mom can you take him—or Bokuto? I still have to finish changing and—”

“I got him,” Bokuto said, “Let’s go see what the vending machines have to offer, Little Man.” 

_Vending machine_ were the only two words Eiji needed to hear, because he followed behind his uncle without complaint, excited to explore the rest of the hotel. 

The machines were on the fifth floor, and they were currently on the eighth, which meant an elevator ride was in order.

Eiji loved elevators. Pushing the buttons was always great fun. 

At first, they went down the opposite hall to get to the vending machines, and ended up at a dead end. So it took them twice as long as it should have, but Bokuto figured it was fine to kill a little extra time. 

“I want chips and um—a soda!” Eiji declared, racing up towards the machine. 

“Eiji, wait your turn!” Bokuto called out, because there was another man already standing there, and once they got closer, Bokuto realized this man was also wearing a tux.

“You must be from the groom’s side of the party,” Bokuto gave a large grin, already extending his hand. At this, the man turned around, a large head of black hair and a cheshire-like smirk claiming his face. 

“Oh, hi,” he met Bokuto’s handshake, “Guessing you’re from Oikawa’s side. I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, Iwa’s best friend.” 

“I’ve heard of you,” Bokuto replied, “Bokuto Koutarou. Guess you’d call me Oikawa’s best friend.” 

Kuroo chuckled, nodding his head, “I’ve heard of you too. And!” he bent down a bit, sticking his hand out, “You must be Eiji.” 

“Hello!” Eiji said, taking his hand, “I’m Oikawa Eiji and I’m six.” 

“Five, Eiji.” Bokuto corrected. 

“Uncle Bokuto!” Eiji whined, “He didn’t know that!” 

“Sorry,” Bokuto put his hand over Eiji’s head, “He’s all excited with everything going on.” 

Kuroo shook his head, bending down to grab what he’d bought from the machine, “Won’t keep you guys long,” he said, “Just came to pick up a Dr. Pepper for Iwa.” 

“Uncle Bokuto!” Eiji shouted, “Can we go visit Mr. Iwa?!” 

Bokuto glanced over at Kuroo, and they both gave a half sort of shrug, before Kuroo decided to answer for him, “I’m sure Iwa would like that!” Eiji looked over to his uncle for confirmation, and Bokuto nodded, but then motioned at the vending machine, “Why don’t you pick out what you want first and then we’ll head on over.” 

Eiji didn’t hesitate in his reply, “Orange juice please!” 

“I thought you wanted a soda.”

“That was _before_ I saw the orange juice Uncle Bokuto!” 

Bokuto sighed, but bought it for him anyway, and the two of them followed Kuroo back to the elevator, down to the second floor. 

“So you guys almost ready?” 

Bokuto shook his head, “Tooru’s kinda freaking out.” 

“Iwa was having a moment too,” Kuroo chuckled, tossing the Dr. Pepper around in his hands, “That’s what the soda’s for.” 

“Should sprinkle some pop rocks in there,” Bokuto snorted, “That’ll change his focus for sure.” 

“Dude oh my god!” Kuroo burst out, just as the elevator doors were opening, “I used to do that all the time in middle school!” he pointed at himself, as if that gave the statement more credibility. 

“Are you serious?” Bokuto’s eyes widened, a grin breaking out on his face, “I did too! We used to have competitions—”

“On who could have the most pop rocks in their mouth—”

“Before adding soda!! Dude!” 

They stopped right in the middle of the hall, clasping their hands together in unprecedented movement as though they’d been friends for years. 

“One time,” Kuroo began, heading towards the door to Iwa’s room, “This guy bet me 500 yen they wouldn’t pop in your nose—”

“No no—they totally do—”

“I _know!_ Easy money!” 

“What’s a pop rocks Uncle Bokuto?” Eiji asked, tugging at his uncle’s other arm. 

“They’re like candy that fizzle in your mouth,” Bokuto began, and Kuroo finished up for him, “But when you add soda they start exploding like crazy!” 

“Like really exploding!?” Eiji shouted.

“Like _really_ exploding!” Both Bokuto and Kuroo answered at the same time, in the exact same pitch. 

The hotel room door opened to reveal a rather irritated Tsukishima Kei, his baby in one arm and the other reaching out to grab the soda from Kuroo, “Would you _quiet down?_ We can hear you from all the way in here.” It was only then that he seemed to notice Bokuto and Eiji, his eyes widening slightly while he adjusted the child on his hip, “Oh,” he said casually, “Hello.” 

Kuroo was the one to do the introductions, which started along the lines of _‘Babe this guy snorted pop rocks too!’_

Needless to say Tsukishima wasn’t impressed.

But Iwa ushered them all inside, saying something about he didn’t want to get complaints, before taking the soda and chugging half of it down in one gulp. 

“Mr.—Dad!” Eiji said, jumping onto the alpha, “If you drink soda too fast you get burps, that’s what Mommy says!” 

Iwa let out a steady exhale, nodding his head and taking another large gulp, “Your mom’s right, kiddo.” 

“Mommy’s _suuuuper_ nervous,” Eiji continued. 

“Is he now?” Iwa answered, taking another sip of soda, registering what Eiji was saying but not really at the same time. Because truth was his nerves were fried. 

“Yeah!” Eiji nodded, “But it’s ok because Auntie brought a giant crane and Mommy’s gonna wear it on his head for good luck!” 

Iwa made a weird face, crinkling up his features and looking at the young alpha with doubt, wondering if he’d heard that correctly, “Is that so…” 

“Mr.—Dad! Your suit looks super cool!” 

At that, Iwa finally flashed a smile, Eiji seeming to pull him back to the current moment, “Thanks little man,” he said, ruffling up Eiji’s hair, “Yours looks good too.” 

“Mommy did my tie! And he did Uncle Bokuto’s too!” Eiji pointed at Bokuto, as if to prove his point.

Their attention shifted, though, because Bokuto was fawning over the child Kei was holding, trying to make it laugh. 

“Do you mind if I hold him?” Bokuto said, “I love babies.” 

“Um,” Tsukishima hesitated, gripping onto his child, though he yielded in the end, “Just make sure you support the head. It’s very important.” 

“Yeah no problem,” Bokuto said, cradling the baby in his arms, “He an alpha? What’s his name?” 

“A beta,” Tsukishima swallowed, “His name’s Naoki.” 

“He’s the cutest!” Bokuto grinned, tickling the baby’s cheeks, “Yes you are, aren’t you Naoki? With your cute brown hair. Look at it. Sticking out and all.” 

Tsukishima shifted, tugging anxiously at his fingers before taking his baby back, “He’s adopted,” he provided awkwardly, “That’s why he doesn’t look like Kuroo or myself…” 

“He’s still super cute!” Bokuto cheered, “Congratulations! Having a new baby seems like the best thing in the world!” 

Tsukishima blushed, though no one but Kuroo noticed, the blond keeping his usual deadpan, adjusting his glasses with his middle finger, “It’s really not all that…” he managed. Kuroo smiled at that, throwing his arm over his mate and kissing his cheek, “We about ready?” he said, causing the necessary distraction, because he knew Kei didn’t like the sudden attention, “The ceremony’s due to start soon right? Can’t have the groom late to his own wedding.” 

Eiji was the first one at the door, tell everyone to _hurry hurry,_ because he wanted to see his Mommy get married. 

Six floors above them, on the other side of the hotel, Oikawa was still arguing with Machiko about whether or not to put the crane in his hair. 

In the end, Oikawa agreed to it, but only because he knew it was the only way to shut them all up about it once and for all. Also…he kind of liked it. Not that he’d ever admit it to Machiko. Though he did think that it would be better suited to someone who was wearing a dress. He guessed a suit worked just as well, though. The hairpiece kind of emphasized the fact that _he_ was the bride. Then again, he was pretty sure when he and Iwa stood side by side, there were no doubts as to who was the alpha, and who was the omega. Iwa just always had that… _air_ about him. 

With a final check in the mirror, Oikawa figured he was about as ready as he was ever going to be. 

This was it. He was getting married. 

He’d been bonded and had a child and now he was getting married. Something that two years ago he would have thought impossible. Something that right now he still felt was sort of… _impossible._ But in the mystical way. In the _no way I can’t believe this is happening_ way. In the _am I allowed to be this happy_ kind of way. 

Whoever said that you get butterflies in your stomach before events like these was a damn liar. His stomach wasn’t the fluttering of butterfly wings. It was a washing machine on its second spin cycle, wringing out any leftover moisture from the damp clothes, spinning and spinning and _spinning_ so goddamn much that Oikawa really thought he was going to throw up. 

He didn’t. But he thought he would. 

At the very least, he had his parents by his side. He’d be entering with both of them, so they were the only ones left outside the door once everyone else had gone in. His father squeezed his hand, brushing his thumb over the back of Tooru’s palm to calm him down, “Deep breaths.” 

Tooru looked at him, not realizing until then that he sort of had forgotten to breathe. He took in one giant inhale, and let it go slowly, trying to match the pace his father had set for him. He felt like a little kid again. That’s when he felt his mother’s lips on his head. In heels she was capable of that much, he guessed. But he closed his eyes regardless, accepting the comfort of his parents. 

Once his breathing returned to normal, his father asked if he was ready. He nodded to show that he was. Fumi and Mamoru pulled on the doors together, and once the three of them were in full view, the music started to play. It was only then that Oikawa got the courage to look up, briefly thinking that these were the last few moments he’d ever really be an Oikawa again. But the moment he looked up, he met Iwa’s gaze. And his chest swelled, though he could have sworn there was no breath in it at all. 

His lips gave way to a bit of a smile, one that Iwa returned, and Oikawa felt as if they were communicating in silence, unknown to the crowd that separated them. Eiji was somewhere up front, leaning far out in his seat so that he could get a proper look, and Oikawa’s smile got bigger, his eyes flicking back to Iwa, thinking that it was a good decision for all of them to have worn black suits. 

It wasn’t a long walk down the aisle—ten, fifteen steps at the most, but—it felt as if he were suspended, Iwa’s gaze the only thing keeping him locked in place. 

Ten steps, then nine, then eight, each one getting him closer to Iwa, until his parents finally let go of his arms, and Iwa’s hand was the one to replaced them. The alpha’s hand was warm, and surprisingly sweaty, though Oikawa didn’t know if the sweat was his, or Iwa’s, or both. But all he knew was that this was real, and that it was happening, and though he promised himself he wasn’t going to cry, he wasn’t so sure about that anymore. 

But Iwa smiled at him again, and Oikawa felt himself smile back, laughing a bit, because there was just too much energy bubbling up in him, and it had to be let out somehow. He bit his lip, stealing one last glance at Iwa, before they settled into their spots across from each other, still holding hands. 

It was becoming official. He was finally going to be Iwaizumi Tooru. 

And in that moment, there was nothing Oikawa thought could be better than that.

* * *

 

Oikawa had been in the bathroom for _at least_ 30 minutes. The reception had gone on for _far_ too long. People had a bad habit of talking too much when they were drunk. And everything had dragged on so damn much he’d totally lost all the nerve he’d spent most of the day building up. 

Because now it wasn’t him and Iwa and Eiji facing a crowd of god knows how many people. Right now it was just him and Iwa, in a relatively small hotel room, sharing their first night together as a married couple before they got on a plane to Hawaii for their honeymoon. 

He was pretty excited about that. 

But he had something more pressing on his mind at the moment. Because it shouldn’t take anyone more than thirty minutes to change into cute lingerie. It _hadn’t,_ but Oikawa needed at least 25 minutes to convince himself that he was still hot. In retrospect he probably shouldn’t have made his bridal shower a ‘wedding night shopping day’ but it was too late to turn back now. He should’ve known. Sakura had always been on the… _wilder_ side of things. His sister was always in Europe so she’d lost her humble inner Japanese a long time ago, and Akaashi _pole danced_ for gods sakes he should have expected something like this when he let those three pick out his lingerie. 

He had liked it when he tried it on in the store, though. 

But he just didn’t remember everything being so… _sheer._ The lace chemise that hit to just the tops of his thighs was entirely see through, so that you could see the matching white underwear when he turned around. And by matching underwear Oikawa meant a G-string. Mostly because Sakura had forced it on him. The back of the short gown was incredibly low cut, because for reasons unknown to Oikawa, Iwa really liked his back, so the omega thought he might as well use that to his advantage. And, for the most part, he thought he looked pretty good in it. 

But…

It was a bit too much, wasn’t it? 

It was fine for a 22 year old, _maybe,_ for someone who still had a bit of bounce in their butt and eternally perky nipples. 

Maybe he should just change into his boxers instead. 

The knock at the door actually made him jump, Iwa’s voice low and steady on the other side, “You ok?” 

“I’m fine!” Oikawa whined, though he didn’t intend to whine, his reply coming out much faster than he’d really wanted it to. He shook his head, trying to gather himself, “I’ll be out in a minute!” 

He heard Iwa shuffle away, and with that he seemed to be able to exhale, licking his lips and touching at his scent glands. They’d have Iwa’s mark on them, soon. 

His heart started to beat fast, so he pushed that thought away, smoothing out the top of the chemise again, and forcing himself to focus on that instead, because thinking of Iwa’s mark on his skin was simply too much. 

In reality, Oikawa really wished he would’ve gone with the black nightgown instead. White looked too weird. He was too pale. And white was for virgins, really. He definitely wasn’t a virgin. But, it was tradition, right? On a wedding night? He’d already opted for the black suit so…with this at least… 

He smacked his cheeks. He was acting like an _actual_ blushing bride. 

Fuck that. His ass looked _great_ in this. 

Taking in a large inhale, and placing his hand on the handle, he finally opened the door, stepping out into the room, crinkling his features when he didn’t see Iwa.

_“Fuck.”_

Tooru jumped, because he hadn’t expected for Iwa to be _behind_ him, the omega quickly twirling around, pink claiming his cheeks. 

“I—thought you’d be on the bed—”

“I had to…bags…” Iwa was drinking him up, eyes growing blacker and blacker, while Oikawa began to feel the alpha’s scent already starting to claim him. “Fuck, Tooru…” He reached out to grab him, but Tooru jumped back, bringing his hands together, “You can’t touch.” 

The growl that Iwa gave made his heart race, but it was exactly what Oikawa wanted. 

“What do you mean I can’t touch?” The alpha smirked, deciding to play along, “I can’t touch my own husband?” 

Oikawa quickly shook his head, biting his lip, “I want to service you tonight.” 

“I can’t touch you all night?” 

“No!” Oikawa quickly fixed, coming up to him, “Well…you can touch but—no inappropriate spots—and no undressing me.” 

Iwa leaned in, biting at Oikawa’s bottom lip, “That’s my favorite part, you know.” 

“I just…wanna try something…” Oikawa managed, losing himself into Iwa’s kisses. 

“Ok,” the alpha said, though the doubt was apparent, “Sure…” 

He tried to keep stealing kisses, even when Oikawa led him to the bed, the omega pushing him down on his back. 

Sakura said she’d done this with her husband once and he’d gone crazy. Oikawa just wanted to see how much merit that had. So without wasting any time, he climbed over the alpha, kissing down along his jaw while his fingers worked to free Iwa from his pants. 

Lucky for him Iwa was being obedient, letting Oikawa do as he pleased without interfering _too_ much, and so Oikawa thought it’d be good to reward the alpha with a few nibbles to his ears. He reveled in the way Iwa stiffened beneath him when he did so, and Oikawa couldn’t help but do it just a little more, because it wasn’t often the alpha was under his control like this.

He worked his way down, tongue and teeth dragging down Iwa’s neck and chest, playing with the alpha’s nipples a bit, which was always fun because Iwa was sort of ticklish, as much as he tried to deny it. It was cute watching him squirm, but best of all Oikawa loved the scent Iwa gave out when they were like this—happy and light and just a little bit horny. 

Just as he got to Iwa’s belly button, though, he stopped. He locked eyes with the alpha, because that sort of thing was important, and as slowly and seductively as he could manage, he turned around, straddling Iwa so that his back was to the alpha, sliding down Iwa’s body and sticking his ass out towards Iwa’s face. “Remember,” he said, giving a single lick to Iwa’s length before glancing back at him, _“No touching.”_

The growl and squeeze Iwa gave to his thighs pushed a moan right out of him, and for a brief moment Oikawa wondered if his thighs had always been that sensitive or if Iwa had just made them that way, but whichever it happened to be, it didn’t really matter, because right now he just had to focus on keeping his ass up in the air while he sucked on his alpha’s cock. 

Oikawa had never enjoyed it this much. Maybe it was the thrill of a new position, or the high of having all the control, or the fact that he could feel Iwa’s heated breath against his skin—maybe it was all those things rolled into one, but there was no denying how much his scent glands were swelling, how much his body had been craving the alpha. 

Maybe that’s why he couldn’t stop moaning. 

But Iwa tasted good. Smelled even _better,_ his musk and scent swirling around Oikawa, getting stronger and stronger with each bob of Oikawa’s head, the alpha’s scent beginning to claim him in a way that only Iwa could really do. And once again, Oikawa remembered what it meant to be with a pack leader. 

His vision blurred, his body trembling as he felt Iwa seeping into his skin, _melting_ into him, Oikawa becoming unable to breathe, _choking,_ choking but not _stopping_ because when Iwa hit the back of his throat it was _thrilling,_ and each time it happened the alpha’s scent only got _stronger,_ and Oikawa was so dizzy from it he wanted to see how much further he could push the limits of Iwa’s scent. 

Was it possible to cum from scent alone? 

He wasn’t given enough time to test it out, because his legs were pulled, just then, Iwa’s teeth clamping down on his ass. Oikawa screamed, choking, pulling away from Iwa’s length and coughing, trying to catch his breath. He threw a glare back at the alpha, but Iwa ignored it entirely, just squeezed Oikawa’s thighs again, and started to lick. 

Shudders ran through him, and as much as he tried to focus on Iwa again he couldn’t, his mind going blank as he wriggled his ass a bit, silently begging the alpha for more. Maybe he was wriggling a bit too much, though, because Iwa tightened his grip, suddenly, pulling Oikawa right onto him. 

If that was how Iwa wanted to play then Oikawa could do him one better. He adjusted himself over Iwa’s mouth, purposely arching his back, using the alpha’s chest as support. He ground himself into Iwa’s mouth, finding his own pleasure, not holding back because Iwa loved when he was loud, so Oikawa let himself moan, teetering closer and closer to the edge the more Iwa squeezed at his thighs. 

It should’ve been embarrassing, the sounds they were making, how much of a damn _show_ Iwa was making it with the slurping and his own moaning, but it was just turning Oikawa on instead, his cock leaking onto Iwa’s chest, his nipples hardening and begging for attention while he wriggled his hips, tried to get Iwa’s tongue even _deeper,_ cursing the damn string of fabric he was wearing, wishing the alpha would just _rip the damn thing off—_

Iwa didn’t. Not before flipping Oikawa over, at least, shoving the omega’s face down into the pillows, and spreading his ass cheeks out so he could better dig in. 

“I said—“ Oikawa moaned, trembling, “N-No…touching…” he gripped at the sheets, biting at them and trembling because _fuck_ he was already _so close._

“How can I not touch,” Iwa dragged, his hands roaming and squeezing and finding their way to Tooru’s length, “When my _husband_ is wearing this just for me?” 

Lewd sounds parted Oikawa’s mouth, trembling as he tried to hold out just a little longer, “It’s not—“ his voice broke off, “It’s not—all that…” 

Iwa dragged his tongue over Oikawa’s skin, biting his plump ass in punishment, “Not all that?” his voice dropped, flipping the omega around, cupping his chin and bringing him in for a kiss, Oikawa tasting his own slick. His chin felt cold in the place where Iwa’s ring touched, and Oikawa couldn’t help but think that that was a nice feeling. 

“You look good enough to _eat_ , Iwaizumi Tooru.” 

Tooru _squealed,_ because Iwa spread his legs apart nice and wide just then, ripping off the thin underwear and tossing it to the side before plunging himself in, groaning and tossing his head back as he sunk into the omega. 

Oikawa threw his arms around him, pulling them closer together and trying to speak through his moans, “I like the way that sounds,” he admitted, practically giggling, wrapping his legs around the alpha and forcing him even deeper. 

“Yeah?” Iwa sunk down again, tugging at Oikawa’s scent glands with his teeth, making the omega tremble, “You like that? _Iwaizumi Tooru_ — _”_

Oikawa pulled him into a kiss, laughing into Iwa’s lips, “Yes—fuck—Hajime—”

Iwa was laughing now too, biting at Oikawa’s lip, “So much for a romantic wedding night—”

“Who gives a fuck about that—”

“Turn around,” Iwa barked, thrusting at a steady rhythm, “I wanna mount you.” 

Oikawa just kept giggling, tugging at his bottom lip with his teeth, “Ha~ji~me~” he teased, “I think you have a back fetish—”

He was pulled, left feeling empty and then flipped around, filled to the brim again, feeling Iwa all the way up in his stomach, Oikawa unable to form any kind of coherent sound with how quickly everything happened, just left breathless from how _full_ Iwa made him feel. 

“A back fetish,” Iwa mused, licking up Oikawa’s spine while he pumped, his hands roaming over the lace, “Yeah,” he breathed, “Maybe.” 

He dug his thumbs into Oikawa’s hips, the light fabric of his chemise flying up with each thrust Iwa gave, and Iwa couldn’t get enough of the way Oikawa’s back arched when he did so, the beautiful curve of white skin making his mind spin. He kissed and licked through the fabric, leaving it wet with spit and sweat. 

When they were like this, Iwa hit deep. It made Oikawa see white from how tightly he shut his eyes, his ears numb and ringing because he couldn’t stop himself from screaming so much. It usually went on like that until Iwa shoved a finger or two into his mouth, but it didn’t happen often because, Oikawa had learned, Iwa really _really_ liked when Oikawa screamed. Every time Oikawa did, the alpha’s thrusts got rougher, his cock felt thicker, and his _scent_ became overwhelming, drowning Oikawa into a whimpering mess that ironically made it harder to scream. 

“Jime…Hajime….” 

“What is it baby?” Iwa licked at the omega’s neck, fangs dangerously close to Oikawa’s scent glands. 

“…ide you…” 

“Hmm?” 

“I wanna ride you—” Oikawa’s voice broke off again, practically falling flat against the sheets, tensing around Iwa as the alpha quickened his pace. “You wanna ride me?” 

A nod was all Oikawa could manage, and just when he thought Iwa was going to let him have his way, the alpha just grabbed him by the torso instead, flopping backwards, so that Iwa’s back was against the mattress, Oikawa’s back pressed to Iwa’s chest. He hadn’t even bothered to pull out. 

“Let’s try it like this for now,” Iwa purred, licking at Oikawa’s neck, causing goosebumps to form over the omega’s arms. “I could claim you like this,” Iwa said, “Your scent glands are right here…” 

Panic welled in his chest, Oikawa scratching at the alpha, “You said—together—”

“I know,” Iwa’s tone changed, giving Oikawa a soft nuzzle to his cheek, “No biting yet,” 

Oikawa practically purred in response, giving into the alpha’s nuzzles, enjoying how _deep_ Iwa was able to go, wondering just why they’d never tried this position before. Especially when the alpha spread his thighs apart, pulling them up a bit so he could hit even deeper, and _fuck_ if Oikawa didn’t enjoy Iwa’s heavy pants in his ear, the way so much of their skin was rubbing together at once. 

Fuck, he was getting swept up by the alpha’s pace again. He grabbed at Iwa’s arm, digging his nails in and asking him to stop. Without explaining himself he rolled off, but then straddled Iwa again, back facing the alpha. 

Iwa tried to grab him again, but Oikawa slapped him away, telling him to _sit still._

Licking his lips, he tried to catch his breath. Then, slowly, with two fingers, he slid the straps of his nightgown off, the garment collecting around his hips. Without looking back he adjusted himself over Iwa’s length and slid down, a shaky exhale and a trembling moan parting his lips as he did so. 

“ _Fuck_ …Tooru…” 

“D-Don’t move,” Oikawa begged, starting to move up and down, using the alpha’s thighs as leverage. 

That didn’t change the fact that Iwa _did_ move, because he said he couldn’t help it, not when Oikawa looked like that, but Oikawa didn’t mind, because that’s what he’d wanted from the start. 

There was nothing like an Iwa who was unable to help himself. It didn’t take very long before the alpha was sitting up, pulling Oikawa close to his chest and pinching at the omega’s nipples, dragging his tongue along Oikawa’s scent glands, sucking at the swollen skin. 

Oikawa was clawing—he wasn’t sure at _what,_ exactly but he was _clawing_ , whimpering and clenching down around Iwa because _fuck_ that felt good and _fuck_ everything was so _wet_ and _were all those sounds really coming from him_ but none of that mattered, not when he was so dangerously close to the edge like this—

Iwa grabbed the head of Oikawa’s dick, and the moment he did Oikawa let out a broken whine, tossing his head back into the alpha’s shoulder and panting, begging for release. 

“We said we were coming together, right?” 

A trembling moan was all Oikawa could manage, the omega wriggling, trying to get some sort of friction. He turned his head, bumping his nose against Iwa’s neck, thrusting his hips in ache, “I can bite you like this—”

“I don’t think you can—”

Oikawa bit as proof, but naturally missed Iwa’s scent glands, the angle making it nearly impossible. Iwa growled in response, pulling out and lying Oikawa flat on the bed before sinking back in, his arms shaking a bit while he groaned, dipping his head to suckle Oikawa’s scent glands again. 

“I’m close,” he admitted. 

“Me too,” Oikawa said, though it was muffled, because he pulled Iwa in for a kiss while he said so, bucking his hips and meeting the alpha’s thrusts. 

“Fuck, Tooru, I’m—”

“Me too—Hajime—”

Iwa was the first to bite, and Oikawa suppressed his scream by biting into Iwa, both latching onto each other and neither one daring to move, the pain of the bite completely drowned out from the way they both crashed around each other, screaming and groaning in pleasure into each other’s skin. 

It was…bizarre. Because for a moment, Oikawa thought he was going crazy. Scent was—you couldn’t see scent, but Oikawa _saw_ it, _swore_ he did, saw his own and Iwa’s mixing in the room, swirling together and creating a color he wasn’t even sure really existed, and in a fleeting moment of clarity Oikawa thought that maybe that was why he’d passed out the first time, because maybe you weren’t allowed to see things like that in the first place. 

But he didn’t pass out. Not this time. Not when Iwa sunk his teeth in even deeper, and not when the alpha fell on him in an exhausted heap, eyes blown wide and knot pulsing between Oikawa’s legs. 

He didn’t realize he’d closed his eyes until they shot open, Iwa’s drunken laughs murmuring low in his ears. “Mine…” he mumbled, finally unlatching his teeth, giving a few healing licks to Oikawa’s glands, “Finally…” he exhaled, before rolling onto his side, pulling Oikawa close. 

Oikawa giggled a bit too, reaching up and brushing his fingers against Iwa’s chin, his ring bumping against the his mate’s skin. The action was enough to catch the alpha’s attention, Iwa dipping his head ever so slightly for a kiss. It had the strange quality of feeling like their first kiss ever, and yet it was hopelessly familiar, done with the ease of having done this a million times prior.

But there was an added comfort to it too. One that hadn’t been there before because, Oikawa knew, that sort of thing only came about once two people were bonded.

And the simple thought of that alone was enough for Oikawa to lean in, and kiss his mate all over again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left! Imma keep this short cuz my author's notes next chapter will probably be monstrous. Also like jumping back real quick like everyone was always harping at me about "why does Oikawa not like orange juice wah wah wah" and ONLY ONE PERSON POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS CUZ OF KAITO. YALL. Ok that's all lol. So much for my big reveal XD 
> 
> Anyway. They're bonded! Emotions!


	44. Chapter 44

**3 years later…**

Iwaizumi Tooru was late. But he already knew that was going to happen. Because every time they had meetings at work like this, they always ended up going overtime. It was fine though, because according to the text message on his phone, Iwa had already picked up Eiji. 

But, when Iwa picked up Eiji that meant that Oikawa was the one who’d have to stop at the grocery store before getting home. Not that he didn’t like the grocery store, he just hated doing it on weekdays like this, because honest to god his feet were killing him. Even so, it couldn’t be helped. Because they were out of soy sauce. More than that though, the omega was _dying_ for some pudding. So Oikawa was pretty sure he would’ve ended up at the grocery store no matter what. 

This was already the third time this week. Fourth, if you counted two nights ago, when he made Iwa run down to the family mart for some instant yakisoba. 

He’d started craving yakisoba, recently. Iwa, being the brilliant man that he was, not only brought back the yakisoba, but cheese curry ramen as well. 

Oikawa loved him. 

When he finally made it to the grocery store though, and he walked past the rows of ice creams, he couldn’t decide if he wanted chocolate pudding or chocolate ice cream. He stood between the aisles, worrying his bottom lip and trying to figure out which one he’d be happier with. In the end it didn’t really matter, because Oikawa proudly declared out loud that he deserved both, and so he grabbed them both, adding them to his basket. 

He rubbed his swollen belly as he continued down the aisles, grabbing a packet of dried sardines before heading over to the checkout. 

He’d stopped caring what he ate about three months ago. It’d definitely helped balance out his mood swings. If this baby wanted to eat nothing but curry ramen and chocolate pudding then Oikawa was just gonna give it to her. 

A harsh kick to his stomach almost made him drop his wallet as he was paying, and the cashier asked if he was all right, but Oikawa insisted that he was fine. It was as if the baby knew that food was on the way. After paying, he made his way back home as fast as he could—which was pretty slow, actually—but Oikawa thought it was relatively fast, for someone who was already eight months in. 

Really, his only drive at the moment was the fact that he’d be able to take off his shoes once he got home. If he had any less self control he would’ve parked himself on the sidewalk, kicked off his shoes and slurped the pudding straight from the cup. 

He almost did. Didn’t. But he _could_ have. 

Opening his front door was a bit of a struggle, but he managed, pushing his way through and sighing in relief as he kicked off his shoes. He could hear Iwa and Eiji playing in the living room, so he called out to them to let them know he was home. 

“Mom!!” Eiji came running, popping his head out in the hallway, “Dad’s teaching me to wrestle!” He said, dashing back into the living room before finishing his last syllable. Oikawa followed him, asking why Iwa was teaching him how to wrestle in the first place. He set the bag down on the kitchen counter, and Iwa greeted him with a kiss to his cheek, the alpha rubbing his tummy at the same time, “It’s not wrestling, it’s self defense.” 

“Yeah yeah!” Eiji hyped him up, “Self defense!” 

Oikawa was too tired to argue it, so he just shrugged his shoulders, digging through the grocery bag and pulling out a spoon from the drawer. 

“Pudding?” Iwa asked.

“Mmm,” Oikawa nodded, motioning to the bag, “I bought ice—“ his speech broke off, Oikawa grimacing and holding onto his stomach. In a moment, Iwa’s hand was on his back, the other resting over Oikawa’s stomach, making sure the omega was ok. “Kicking again?” 

“It’s been nonstop since I left work,” Oikawa managed a smile, though he was obviously in a bit of pain, “She’s an alpha alright.” 

“Is she kicking now??” Eiji came up, also placing his hands on his mom’s stomach, “I wanna feel it!” 

It didn’t take very long, because the baby kicked again, making Eiji scream. Oikawa wasn’t sure if it was out of horror or delight. 

“Why don’t you sit down?” Iwa smiled, “I’ll rub your feet.” 

Oikawa couldn’t stop the tears, because they just came out all on their own, the omega sniffling and nodding his head, “Yeah—thank you—I just—I really want my pudding—”

Eiji ignored it all, because his mom spontaneously bursting into tears was nothing new. He watched as his Iwa kissed Oikawa’s temple, rubbing his back with encouragement, “Alright. Pudding and foot rubs.” 

The omega nodded, because the tears were gone, as if they’d never been there to begin with, Oikawa ripping open the top of the pudding cup. They walked over to the couch together, tailed by Eiji, all three of them sitting down next to each other. 

Eiji picked the show, which Oikawa vetoed, because he needed something that ‘wouldn’t give him a headache.’ They finally landed on some sort of cooking show, not that it mattered, because the volume was so low they couldn’t really hear it, and when they were all together like this the time was mostly spent talking about what they did for the day. As promised, Iwa rubbed his husband’s feet while they all talked, Oikawa mumbling his way through, because he was scarfing down the pudding cup. 

Eventually, though, once they all finished their stories, they did end up watching the cooking show. Oikawa eased into the couch, sighing and letting out a soft purr. 

“Mom’s relaxed now,” Eiji snickered, turning the volume up a bit more. 

“It’s cuz your dad’s great at foot massages,” Iwa said, pointing to himself. Oikawa smirked at that, leaning over as best he could to kiss Iwa on the cheek. “I’m gonna get another pudding cup,” he said. Iwa nodded, knowing better than to offer to grab one for him. Oikawa stood up slowly, making his way around the couch before he stopped, gripping the back of the couch and spasming suddenly.

“Tooru—?”

The omega’s knuckles went white from the grip, a gasp catching in his throat as he staggered a bit, and Iwa got up on instinct, rushing to his omega’s side. 

“…Mom?” 

Oikawa shook his head, smiling a bit, “I’m ok,” he said, “Hajime.” 

“Did she kick you again?” Iwa ran a hand against Oikawa’s back, and Oikawa shook his head again, gripping onto his husband, “Hajime,” he repeated, licking his lips, “What I’m about to say—I don’t want you to panic.” 

Naturally, that only caused the alpha to panic, “Does it hurt? Should we go to the hospital?”

“Hajime,” Oikawa repeated, voice smooth and soft, “Nothing hurts. I’m fine, and the baby is fine. But my water just broke.” 

The way the alpha paled was like nothing the omega had ever seen. “Your…your water…” Iwa managed. 

Oikawa nodded slowly, “It broke.” 

“Does that mean you peed yourself?” Eiji asked, looking over the couch, pointing down at his mom’s pants. 

It was only then that Iwa glanced down, noticing the fact that Oikawa’s pants were dripping wet. That seemed to be enough to finally kick him into gear, “We gotta—hospital—Eiji!!” 

“Yes,” Oikawa said simply, “That’s why we packed my bags in advance—”

“Right—bags—I’m on it—”

“And I’ll call my mom,” Oikawa nodded again, as if he were walking Iwa through all the steps. 

“Right—Mom—and I’m—bags—”

“Upstairs,” Oikawa gave a pained smile, and luckily Iwa didn’t need more direction than that, just dashed up the stairs to get the bags. 

“Did the baby pee on you Mom?” Eiji asked, still staring at his mom in fascination. 

Oikawa closed his eyes so as to not smack his own child. “Eiji, go get me a towel.” 

“Ok!” 

That’s when the first contraction hit. 

He whined, calling out for Hajime, and as the dull pain began to spread, his own voice spiked into a panic the second time, calling out to Hajime again. Right now more than ever, instinct demanded his mate by his side.

* * *

 

A blur. That was the only way to describe everything that happened between rushing from the house to the hospital. Because Iwa didn’t remember a damn thing. Was only really able to register that he was there, and Eiji was there, and Oikawa’s parents were there. But none of that explained _why_ there weren’t like ten nurses and two doctors tending to his mate who was _about to give birth._ Apparently, there was something about the timing of contractions, and something about the baby not being ready, but Iwa had no idea how an omega’s water could break and the baby still not be ready. Wasn’t it like, the water breaks, and you immediately go into labor?

Iwa didn’t know. Didn’t know _anything,_ and was too scared to look anything up. So he was just going to stay by Oikawa’s side, holding both his and Eiji’s hand, and talk about baseball, because that seemed to be what his mind defaulted to. 

He would’ve kept going too, if Oikawa didn’t tell him to shut the _fuck_ up. 

Because baseball was definitely not Oikawa’s default. He really wished Oikawa would’ve let him though, because if he couldn’t talk about easy things like that his head slipped into questions. And when he asked Oikawa a bunch of questions like that it just made him sound ridiculously nervous. He didn’t want to be _that_ alpha. The one where the omega has to calm them down because they’re too damn busy freaking the fuck out. 

It helped having his parents there, because both of them were pretty calm, but that just made Iwa freak out even more. Because he was supposed to be better than that. He shouldn’t have to rely on so many people to get it together long enough so he could be there for Oikawa. 

Granted, it _did_ get better once Bokuto and Akaashi arrived. Because Bokuto had been there the first time Oikawa had given birth. So Iwa figured if he fucked up then at least Bokuto would be there to pick up the slack. Though, Iwa was pretty surprised when Bokuto did finally walk in, and the first thing he said was, “You’re a hell of a lot calmer this time around.” 

“Well it’s not the first time I do this,” Oikawa bit back with some snark. “Besides,” he continued, rubbing his thumb over Iwa’s hand, “My mate’s here.” 

Iwa hadn’t thought of it like that. Hadn’t even really considered that Oikawa was probably comparing the two experiences, but it made sense if he was, and even if all Iwa could do was just _be_ there then—he sure as hell wasn’t going to let go of Oikawa’s hand.

After a few hours, Oikawa said that it was time to call one of the nurses. Iwa had no idea how the hell he was supposed to know that, but apparently it was the contractions again, and Iwa guessed if it was your own body then you’d know when the baby was ready, but regardless, it just shot his mind into a brand new panic. Iwa didn’t really know the whole story, but for whatever reason, Oikawa had already requested that it be just the two of them in the room while he gave birth. Which meant Iwa would be on his own from this point on. 

Luckily, Bokuto put his hand over his shoulder, which seemed to ground him, if only for a few moments. “I’ll get the nurse,” he said, “And Fumi’s gonna take Eiji to the cafeteria.” 

After that it became another blur, until the nurses started to tell Oikawa to push, then it all became clear again. Maybe it was because Oikawa’s scent changed. Maybe it was because, now that Eiji and everyone else was gone, Oikawa was finally letting his guard down, his expression showing a lot more than it had while they’d been waiting. Whichever one it was, though, Iwa knew his omega was scared. And he sure as _fuck_ wasn’t gonna let his own anxieties get in the way of helping him. 

He squeezed his mate’s hand, nuzzling into his hair gently. “Breathing, just like we practiced,” he murmured, “Two in and one out—you’re gonna do great.” 

Oikawa nodded, wincing as he began to push, holding onto Iwa’s hand as if everything depended on it. 

It was hard to watch, the longer it dragged on. Because the longer it took, the more Oikawa began to sweat and the more his face contorted in pain. 

“We can see the head, Iwaizumi-san. Almost there. You’re doing very well.” 

Oikawa tossed his head back to the ceiling, tears streaming down his cheeks. That was all it took for Iwa to bark at one of the nurses to _do_ something about it. Wouldn’t it be better to just have a cesarean at this point? 

But no one was given the chance to say anything, because Oikawa let out a scream that Iwa had never heard from anyone in his entire life, and it was absolutely terrifying, both in how carnal it was, and in how hard he got his hand squeezed in the process, but not moments after, a new scream joined the room, a high pitched squeal of annoyance owned by none other than his tiny tiny girl of a pup. 

Oikawa’s grip on Iwa’s hand fell, the omega sinking into the bed, and Iwa was caught between making sure his mate was ok, and keeping his eyes on the nurses that were holding his child. 

“Omega girl,” one of the nurses called out, before rushing to put a blanket on her, placing her on Oikawa’s chest while they cleaned her up.

Both Oikawa and Iwa looked at each other, scoffing a bit, Iwa shaking his head, “An omega, huh?”

“Hey,” Oikawa breathed, holding the pup close, speaking directly to her, “You came out pretty quickly for someone that kicks so much…” he giggled to himself, letting out a long sigh of relief, upon which Iwa nuzzled him, because he just couldn’t help it. 

“She’s beautiful,” Iwa said, wanting nothing more than to hold her as well.

“She has your eyes, Hajime.” 

Iwa’s eyes widened, hovering over them, “Really?” 

“Mmm,” Oikawa smiled and bit his lip, giggling softly to himself as he adjusted his hold a bit, so that Iwa could get a better look. 

They were most certainly Iwa’s eyes. 

The scent in the room was impossible to describe. Iwa knew that there were other people there, but it felt like nothing else existed other than himself, Oikawa, and their new baby. Because although the baby carried its own scent, something strangely fresh but equally nostalgic, most of all was the purity in Oikawa’s, something Iwa wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to smell again. 

“And what will you be naming her?” One of the nurses asked, looking at longingly at the baby as everyone else was. 

“Kaori,” they both replied at the same time, before the both of them laughed, Oikawa leaning into his alpha. 

“Kaori,” Oikawa repeated with a nod, “Iwaizumi Kaori.”

* * *

 

Because Kaori was born so late in the day, they kept Oikawa overnight. Iwa stayed with him, so that they could leave the minute they were given the all-clear. Oikawa was not a fan of hospitals, so he wanted to be ready to go as soon as possible. Bokuto and Akaashi took Eiji for the night, and Oikawa’s parents said they’d fix up the house to have it ready for them once they got home. Iwa was finally able to hold his own child, even got to watch Oikawa feed her, and in those moments he realized what people meant when they talked about having a baby. 

They become your world. In a way that couldn’t be described with words. But then again, words had never really been Iwa’s forte to begin with. 

The next morning, after a breakfast he didn’t touch because it was, quote, _nauseating,_ Oikawa was released from the hospital. Due to the lack of food, Iwa promised to make him something once they got home. As much as he wanted to carry Kaori to the car, Oikawa wasn’t letting her go, keeping her close to his chest and talking to her as if she could understand every bit of what he was saying. 

It was a short drive back to the apartment, much shorter than the drive to the hospital, that was for sure, Oikawa holding Kaori to his chest the whole way through. 

Iwa always thought babies were supposed to cry a bunch, but maybe she was just too tired to be crying right now. She’d slept through most of the night, only really starting to cry when she’d wanted some food. 

“Your scent works on babies too,” Oikawa cooed at him, all but glowing, letting out soft little purrs to soothe the baby. It made Iwa want to jump and hug him all at the same time. “You’re beautiful,” he blurted, a bit dumbly, but all too honest, and Oikawa giggled again in that soft way, leaning over to nuzzle him. 

“And she’s beautiful too,” Iwa added, pulling up to their apartment and bringing the car to a stop. 

“She’s feisty for an omega,” Oikawa murmured, “I thought for sure she’d be an alpha.” 

“Doesn’t that just mean she’s got your personality?” Iwa hummed, unhooking his seat belt so he could properly scent his mate. Oikawa giggled again (he’d been doing that a lot), purring into Iwa’s neck and letting out soft little hums. “I hope not,” he bit his lip, “I’m too stubborn.” 

“We’re both stubborn,” Iwa provided, “So we’re kinda screwed in that department.” 

“Do you think Eiji will get jealous?” 

“More than likely. I think we’re in for a rollercoaster.” 

“I’m not a huge fan of rollercoasters,” Oikawa admitted. 

“I’ll hold your hand the whole way through,” Iwa said, taking hold of the omega’s hand and giving it a soft squeeze and kissing Oikawa’s reddening cheeks for good measure. “Then I guess we’ll be ok,” Oikawa returned, squeezing Iwa’s hand back, “Don’t you dare let go, Hajime.”

“You know I won’t.” 

Oikawa leaned in to kiss him, Kaori cooing in his arms. “We should get inside,” he said, adjusting Kaori, “Everyone’s waiting, aren’t they?” 

“Mm,” Iwa nodded, “They probably are.” 

They walked up to the third floor together, Iwa carrying all the bags while Oikawa cradled Kaori. Iwa pulled out his keys, opening the door, his hand on the handle as he turned to Oikawa, flashing a smile. 

“Welcome home, Kaori.” 

Oikawa smiled as the door opened to reveal everyone inside, Eiji yelling out before everyone else and welcoming his mom home. That triggered another series of ‘welcome homes’ and as they made their way further into the house, Oikawa realized they’d even gone so far as to make a banner. He couldn’t help but laugh, Iwa’s arm around his shoulder making him feel light as air. Eiji ran up to them, and Iwa picked him up, the four of them standing across from everyone else. 

Iwa glanced down at his mate for a moment, his hand finding its way around Oikawa’s shoulder again to give it a squeeze, and Oikawa did that giggling thing again, turning to officially greet everyone in the room.

“We’re home!” 

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. That's the end. Finito. The end of the line. The grand shabam. Idk what I'm even saying anymore I'm just trying to not cry lmfaooo. 
> 
> "We're home." Get it? As in they finally have A PLACE TO CALL HOME. Lmfao. Anyway. 
> 
> Yikes. Almost a whole freaking year. I was getting ready to go to Japan this time last year like holy shit this is actually insane. It's insane. This story is the longest thing I've ever written and I honest to god hope to never write anything this long again lmfaooo. Oneshots for the rest of my life! Just kidding X3 But wow. It's surreal. Just freaking surreal to suddenly have it be the end. Oh by the way I totally forgot to mention. If anyone read Cigs and Soda like the Dr. Pepper in the last chapter was TOTALLY wink to that. Anyway. Ok so I should make my announcements I guess.
> 
> First off, thank you to everyone who ever left a kudos or a comment. Y'all are what made this happen. I'm still beyond amazed that this story got the attention that it did. An extra special thank you to those who have been here since chapter one, and YES I absolutely know who you guys are. 
> 
> Second, the Sheiji story is officially finished so I will be posting chapter 2 soonish. So technically I guess this story isn't over-over yet haha. Updates for Sheiji will be once a week ^^ 
> 
> In case you haven't heard, I posted the first chapter of my original work!! It's available to everyone, so if you could give it a read, maybe even leave a comment, it would really mean a lot. Even if you can't support me directly, reblogging the post and helping me spread the word is the next best thing!! I'd really appreciate it! [You can read the chapter here. ](http://the-madame21.tumblr.com/post/174483492823/chains-of-silk-chapter-1)
> 
> Like I've mentioned a million times before, always feel free to reach out to me and chat if you want ^^ I've got a little bit more free time now that it's summer. 
> 
> Thank you guys for being a part of this journey with me. I hope to see you in the next story :)

**Author's Note:**

> I was hesitant to post this since I didn't want to bite off more than I can chew but the more I think of this AU the more ideas I get and the more this story seems to be writing itself so I think I'll be ok. And Something Like Us is nearly done so I think this will still be manageable. Hello to my new readers and welcome back to those of you who you know who you are ;) Hope you enjoy! I've never really done "world building" (if you can call it that?) so I know there's a lot of questions as to how the characters know each other/their professions/etc, but I promise I'll get to all that stuff in the coming chapters. As always comments are always greatly appreciated :) Thank you!


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